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Muscle-clad firefighters cause sensation with hunky new fundraising calendar

Chen Chun-cheng, Mr. October, displays a fire extinguisher in a calendar released on Tuesday by the Taipei County Fire Bureau to promote disaster prevention. PHOTO: WU JEN-CHIEH, TAIPEI TIMES

The Taipei County Fire Bureau has caused an Internet sensation after pictures from its firefighters calendar for next year found their way onto the Web.

The calendar, which was released on Tuesday and was put together in an effort to promote disaster prevention, features 12 muscle-bound Taipei County firefighters. Each month features a topless firefighter posing with a piece of firefighting equipment.

Lo Yi-tien (羅億田), an official from the county’s Division of Firefighter Education and Training, said the bureau has printed 2,000 copies so far. It will distribute them at special occasions to guests and local volunteer firefighters.

A number of the calendar’s photos caused a sensation after they were posted online, so the bureau may print more copies in light of the high demand.

Lo said that all 12 models were in their twenties. They were selected from local fire departments across Taipei County. Many of them were members of the bureau’s dragon boat team.

In addition to firefighting equipment, such as axes, electric saws and fire hoses, the calendar also features a different safety warning for each month.

Mr. November, Chang Hao-lin (張豪麟), said it was not easy to be a pin-up, as he had to exercise regularly to stay in shape.

Mr. August, Yen Hung-wen (顏宏文), from the fire department in Sindian City, said that he was now receiving more attention when jogging shirtless around his station because of the large amount of exposure his photo has received online.

However, the firefighters stressed that the main purpose of the calendar was to promote disaster prevention. They said they were flattered to have received so much attention, but it would only be meaningful if it made the public pay more attention to their safety.
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