Domestic Violence Truck

Logan Township, Pennsylvania:  While many people associate October with Breast Cancer awareness, October is also the month to raise awareness for domestic violence and one Blair County fire company is helping to raise awareness in a colorful way. 

Domestic violence awareness is represented by the color purple. In October people encouraged to be reminded hidden acts of violence many people face.  The Newburg Fire Company in Logan Township is helping to remind people by showing off their purple firetruck.

 “It's purple because of domestic violence as far as I know we've done some research it's the only one in the nation that is dedicated to domestic violence awareness,” said Tory Schwarze a Newburg Fire Company EMT. 

Schwarze said there are other purple firetrucks in the country, but the one in Blair County is the only purple one dedicated to domestic violence awareness.  

 The firetruck isn’t active, so people won’t see it at the site of an emergency; instead people can see it in parades, at community outings and school activities.

 “What better way to stop the domestic violence to break the cycle with the children that's where we need to start is with the children.  Most of them say why the purple is supposed to be red so it opens a good conversation about hands are not meant for hurting and things like that,” Schwarze said.

 The firetruck is so popular it even has a Facebook page.

 The fire truck was donated by the Altoona City Fire Department to the Newburg Fire Company in 2012. Generous donors gave to the project; no tax payer money was involved. 

 For fighters, it is an honor to drive the purple truck. “They love it! They love it! We have a firefighter that he was so excited because he had to go to drive the firetruck. It is first grade this year and it is just it's going really well,” Schwarze said.