Editor’s note: Chief Adam K. Thiel applauds the work of the medical professionals who specialize in burns and urges us to find ways to help their vital but financially challenged work.
I’m sure you will all join me in wishing Firefighter McIntyre continued progress on his recovery after sustaining severe burn injuries at a fire in Martin County, Fla., last December.
Just the other day I was talking to someone, at the Congressional Fire Services Institute Annual Meeting and Dinner, about the invaluable services that local burn centers provide to both civilians and firefighters in our communities. The doctors and nurses who staff these centers are among the most dedicated medical professionals I’ve ever seen, and are often supported by local fire department members who donate their time and money to helping their injured brothers and sisters, as well as other burn victims.
While I feel fortunate that I’ve never needed their services as an individual, I’ve certainly experienced first-hand their compassionate, selfless, and unsung service to fire departments reeling from tragic and unexpected events.
As firefighters, there’s certainly a business reason to know where your nearest burn center is located, and the services it provides. More importantly, we should understand how the center is funded and supported.
Burn care is astronomically expensive, and many burn units (like their fire department counterparts) struggle to maintain the capacity for dealing with their normal workload, much less the impact of a disaster or catastrophic incident.
You might also want to get involved with, or consider donating to, one of the many firefighter-staffed organizations that support burn centers across the United States. If you don’t know where to start helping, the International Association of Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation’s Burn Fund has a search feature on its website that you can use to find burn centers in the United States and Canada.
Stay safe!
