When I was going through EMT training in San Diego, part of the course required spending time in an emergency room in a hospital. I chose University Hospital (UCSD Medical Center) because it was the busiest ER in the county. While I was there I checked out their regional Burn Center, and it was a very sobering experience. A third degree burn is one of the most serious injuries a firefighter can experience. Some of the treatments can be as painful than the initial burns, and they may be required for weeks on end. Recovery can take months, or more.
After that visit, I made a promise to myself that I would do everything humanly possible to avoid putting anyone working for me in a Burn Center.
Every firefighter should visit one.
Like Bill, I first visited a burn center during my EMT training in the early 1980’s.
Unfortunately, I’ve visited burn centers far too often since then.. both helping to craft potential new “policy”, or to help/visit fellow injured or dying friends or firefighters and their families.
There is a now a burn treatment “policy” in the federal agencies as a result of the info and support of the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and folks working “behind the scenes”.
Like Bill said, “Every Firefighter Should Visit a Burn Center”… and every firefighter (past, present, and future) should support the WFF.
Very sobering experience indeed. Newer pain killers HELP, but nothing makes the pain stop. Not somewhere any of us our our personnel should ever have to end up.
And good work to those who developed the burn protocol. It is easy to mis-estimate burn severity in the early hours, particularly for those who who are not experts. Requiring burned firefighters to be evaluated by actual burn specialists is a great step, and may prevent longer term pain, disability, or scarring for folks compared to delaying treatment because someone thinks it’s “not that bad”.
Better yet. Every Fire Chief, Fire Department board member, City counsel person, mayor and any other person who is in charge of firefighters should visit a Burn Center.
Great idea!
Amen Anon, well said. I would add Line Officers to that list.