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Denver Fire Fighters Burn Foundation Rock-n-Roll
Marathon
Denver Fire Fighters Burn Foundation Rock-n-Roll
Marathon
The Denver Fire Fighters Burn
Foundation (DFFBF) was created 30 years ago and has
proudly supported the IAFF Burn Foundation ever since.
The DFFBF has made an annual donation of up to $10,000
to the IAFF Burn Foundation every year.
Recently the DFFBF partnered with
the IAFF to promote two more fundraising events. Denver
joined the IAFF fitness team effort with the inclusion
of the Denver Rock-n-Roll Marathon into the fitness team
race series. Runners from four states came to Denver to
run as charity participants in the marathon and
half-marathon after each raised $1,000 for the IAFF
fitness team.
The National Fire Fighter Ski
Races have been held for the past two years as a benefit
for the IAFF Burn Foundation and the DFFBF. The four day
event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado draws participants
from across the U.S. to the Champagne Powder® of
Steamboat Ski area. For the most serious of skiers to
the funniest participants in the “Hose Race”, the event
is four days of fun with activities for all. Money is
raised through “Hose Race” donations, silent auctions
and independent sponsors.
The DFFBF also relies on an annual
golf tournament and payroll deduction donations from
almost 1,000 Denver Fire Fighters in Local 858.
Fire Fighters and Other Community Heroes
"Burn Victim Says Six
Flags Barred Him From Roller Coaster Because He Doesn’t
Have Hands"
"Woman Burned in Vicious
Gasoline Attack Gathers Strength to Help Others"
"Burn Survivor on a
Mission to Empower Teens"
"Burn Victim Graduates
With an MBA"
"Firefighter Uses His
Oxygen Mask to Save Two Dogs"
Taking Action
"Stamford to Pursue Smoke
Alarm Law"
Fire Prevention and Burn Awareness
"Burn Foundation Launches
Scald Prevention Campaign"
"New Rochelle Fire
Fighters Speak of Pain, Suffering & Dangers of Fires"
"2 Burned As Special
Olympics Torch Sparks Fire"
"Residential Sprinkler
Prevents Potentially Devastating Fire"
"Julianne Hough Grateful
for Burns Victim Role of a Lifetime"
Burn Treatment and Research
"Sugar-Coating Wound
Repair: A Review of FGF-10 and Dermatan Sulfate in Wound
Healing and Their Potential Application in Burn Wounds"
Hazardous Products and Recalls
"Cigarette Causes Fire"
"Massachusetts Man Catches
Fire After Applying Sunscreen"
"Man Suffers From Severe
Burns After Gel Candle Explodes on His Body"
Fire Fighters and Other Community Heroes
Burn Victim Says Six Flags Barred Him From Roller
Coaster Because He Doesn’t Have Hands
New York Daily News (06/12/12) Caulfield, Philip
Michael Green, a man from Texas who was badly burned in
a house fire when he was 15 months old, says he was
prohibited from riding a roller coaster at Six Flags
because he does not have hands. Despite his condition,
Green says he lives a normal life. "(I can do)
everything except tie my shoes," Green told NBC
Dallas-Fort Worth. "I can cook. I can drive. I can
clean. I can go to school. I can write ... . I can type
on the computer about 35, 40 words per minute." He says
he has visited Six Flags Over Texas more than a dozen
times since he was a child, and has never had a problem.
But on June 8, a worker said Green could not board the
Texas Giant roller coaster because of his disability.
Guest relations staff also said Green could not ride any
of the park’s rides, said Green. Six Flags said in a
statement, "Our disability policies include ride
manufacturers’ guidelines and the requirements of the
federal American Disabilities Act." Green said, "I
thought I was normal, and then I get treated like I am
not, like I’m an outsider again--and that’s the worst
feeling in the world, to feel like an outsider."
Return to Headlines
Woman Burned in Vicious Gasoline Attack Gathers
Strength to Help Others
Los Angeles Daily News (06/09/12) Abram, Susan
Three years after an attack outside a club she worked at
in Tarzana, Calif., left her with second- and
third-degree burns, Roberta Busby says she looks in the
mirror and sees not a victim, but a person of strength
who has the ability to reach out and help others in the
same situation. "Three years have gone by fast," she
said recently. "This is a hard battle to fight, but the
more people I meet that have gone through this, the more
strength I get." "I look at her as a powerful woman,"
said Dr. Peter Grossman, medical director of the
Grossman Burn Centers, where Busby has received more
than 50 skin grafts and reconstructive surgeries to
restore the skin, muscles, and nerves in her hands,
arms, chin, neck, lips, and face after she was doused
with gasoline and set on fire in 2009. Busby said it was
the prayers and letters from others that carried her
through her months of treatment at Grossman. One letter
that affected her deeply was from a soldier serving in
the armed forces in Afghanistan. "He took the time to
write me," Busby said. "It gave me a reason to remember
why I was here." She said the Circle of Care Foundation,
a nonprofit group that helps burn survivors and their
families, helped her get through the most difficult
times, and said she gets the word out about the
organization "whenever I can." She said that although
the incident has hindered her ability to find a job, she
thinks she may like to work with children with
disabilities. "There's a lot of people that don't make
this battle," she said. "I just want people to know it's
not easy. I want them not to judge a book by its cover.
But I also don't want people to pity me. I'm still
living. I'm happy. I'm in a good place. I want to give
back somehow."
Return to Headlines
Burn Survivor on a Mission to Empower Teens
Spruce Grove Examiner (06/08/2012) Morin, Brandy
Burn survivor and mother of three Kelly Falardeau has
lived with burn scars all her life, having been injured
at the age of two, but after many years of struggle she
now says her scars are a gift she uses to help others.
For many years she was obsessed with beauty, she says,
but when a woman made a rude remark to her about her
scars it was a turning point. “I said to myself ‘Why was
I letting that one lady take my power away?’" She later
became president of the Alberta Burn Rehabilitation
Society and entered the Every Woman Modeling
Competition, winning the top prize for people’s choice.
She started sharing her story with various media outlets
and began doing speaking engagements, and then wrote her
first book “No Risk, No Rewards." She followed that with
“Self Esteem Doesn’t Come in a Bottle,” a self-help
book. “It doesn’t matter how much makeup you put on, how
much shampoo or anti-aging stuff you use, it’s not going
to give you self-esteem,” she says. “It will give you
some temporary fulfillment but that’s it." She is now
working on a book aimed at teenagers and self-esteem,
called “I’m Still Beautiful.”
Return to Headlines
Burn Victim Graduates With an MBA
CNN Health (05/23/2012) Rana, Manoj
Manoj Rana almost died from burns suffered in an
apartment fire after emigrating from India to study in
the United States. He was rescued by a fire fighter then
endured 54 surgeries and five years of an intensive
therapy program. During much of his recovery he lived in
a nursing home. It was there that he studied for the
GMAT exam and received his acceptance letter to the MBA
program at the Indiana University Kelley School of
Business. Despite the disabilities he sustained from the
burns--including limited use of his fingers--and the
isolation from his family in India, Rana recently was
awarded an MBA. He credits the values his parents
instilled in him and help from his occupational
therapist as significant factors in helping him through
his recovery. "My parents taught me the value of
education, hard work, and perseverance. They taught me
to be content in life no matter what the circumstances.
They taught me that 'we can always find someone who is
in worse condition than we are in. So be thankful for
what you have.'" Rana calls his occupational therapist,
Shannon Hendricks, his "guardian angel," noting that,
"today, I can live independently because of her hard
work."
Return to Headlines
Firefighter Uses His Oxygen Mask to Save Two Dogs
Opposing Views (06/11/2012) Allen, Michael
A Detroit fire fighter was filmed removing his own
oxygen mask to give air to a dog he had just rescued
from a burning building in a scene from "Burn," an
award-winning documentary inspired by Detroit fire
fighters risking their lives to extinguish fires in the
down-and-out city. While fire fighters fought the blaze,
the homeowner yelled, "Did you get my dogs out?" In the
film, fire fighters put out a fire and, moments later, a
fire fighter removed his own oxygen mask and used it on
the dogs, saving their lives. Brenna Sanchez and Tom
Putnam, the film's directors, were able to get a view of
the city from the eyes of fire fighters by attaching HD
cameras to their helmets. Though the documentary took
home an award at the Tribeca Film Festival, the
producers are still raising money to distribute the
film, and have set up a Web site--detroitfirefilm.org--where
people can contribute.
Return to Headlines
Stamford to Pursue Smoke Alarm Law
Stamford Advocate (CT) (05/10/12) Morganteen, Jeff
Lawmakers in Stamford, Conn., are planning to propose an
ordinance requiring that all single-family homes have
smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, after the state
recently passed a similar bill. Stamford Public Safety
Director Ted Jankowski started working on the ordinance
after a fire in a Stamford home with a non-functioning
smoke alarm killed three young sisters and their
grandparents. Previous legislation only required smoke
alarms in buildings with three or more residences, but
the new state law requires smoke alarms for
single-family units under renovation as well as carbon
monoxide alarms for homes with fuel-burning appliances,
fireplaces, and attached garages. The state version,
however, does not carry fines or penalties, and the
Stamford law would impose a $10 fine for homeowners who
do not comply within 24 hours of being cited for not
having the proper alarms installed. They will receive
another $10 fine for each day they remain out of
compliance, with a cap of $90 total. The city would also
like to conduct inspections and emergency responses to
enforce the ordinance. The Board of Representatives’
Public Safety Committee held a hearing on the ordinance
in March, and will vote on it after board members make
sure it is in line with state law.
Return to Headlines
Fire Prevention and Burn Awareness
Burn Foundation Launches Scald Prevention Campaign
CBS Philadelphia (06/11/12) Durham, Michelle
The Burn Foundation, based in Philadelphia, is unveiling
a scald-prevention campaign called "Got a Kid? Get a
Lid." This initiative was made possible by a national
coalition led by the International Association of Fire
Fighters, The International Association of Fire Chiefs,
The Federation of Burn Foundations, and Safe Kids
Worldwide. Philadelphia was chosen as one of the six
pilot cities for this campaign. The aim is to inform
people that some of the things they least suspect can
cause a major burn to a child. Scott Cohen, director of
Prevention Education, says scalding is the most common
burn injury among kids under the age of 5. Scalds are
burns caused by steam or liquid, so the use of lids is
crucial. "Sometimes when we are very busy we’ll be out
having coffee or tea and we’ll put [our beverage] on the
back of a stroller. Or we’ll be in the car with the
child next to us or behind us in the car seat and we
drop the liquid and it causes a very, very serious
burn," he says. Cohen adds that a child’s skin is
thinner, so a burn to a child is going to be much more
serious for him or her. He says, "all you have to do is
turn your head for a second" for an accident to occur.
"The National Scald Prevention Campaign is an attempt to
raise people’s awareness about scalds and how serious a
burn a scald can be," says Cohen.
Return to Headlines
New Rochelle Fire Fighters Speak of Pain, Suffering &
Dangers of Fires
Talk of the Sound (New Rochelle, N.Y.) (06/09/2012)
Fire fighters from New Rochelle, N.Y., have produced a
series of seven videos to help educate city residents
about the dangers of modern fires. Fire fighters from
the New Rochelle Fire Department (NRFD) appear and
discuss their personal experiences in the videos, which
also utilize fire safety testing results from the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
In "Why Seconds Count when Fighting Fires," fire
fighters explain how rapidly fires ignite today, and
there are videos about the physicality of fighting fires
and the factors that contribute to the high national
incidence of heart attacks in fire fighters. The series
includes "The Life of a Deadly Fire," produced by NIST,
that explains how a fire can grow from inception to
2,000 degrees F in minutes. "Most citizens never
anticipate having a fire in their home," says Byron
Gray, a 27-year veteran with the NRFD and president of
the New Rochelle Uniformed Fire Fighters Association.
"For New Rochelle citizens to truly understand the grave
risk fire presents to their families we wanted to offer
a snapshot into the reality and show the significant
physical beating the job takes on the fire fighters who
protect and keep our city safe." The videos are less
than 3 1/2 minutes long and have been posted on YouTube
and Facebook. The NRFD hopes to connect with younger
residents who go online for news and information.
Return to Headlines
2 Burned As Special Olympics Torch Sparks Fire
NBC Connecticut (06/07/2012)
During the annual Special Olympics torch run through
Connecticut, two people were burned while trying to
re-light the torch inside the official truck. The wick
began to burn out and a volunteer wore a special glove
to change it, but the glove caught fire. When the driver
saw the fire, he quickly stopped the vehicle, which sent
fuel splattering and ignited a flash fire. Two
volunteers were taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, and while
one was released, the other has been transferred to the
Bridgeport Burn Center. "We're deeply concerned about
today's events and the well being of those involved and
will review the entire matter and all procedures to make
certain this does not happen again," said Debbie Horne,
Director of Communications and Marketing for the Special
Olympics Connecticut.
Return to Headlines
Residential Sprinkler Prevents Potentially
Devastating Fire
Leesburg Patch (05/15/2012)
In Virginia, the Loudoun County Emergency Communications
Center received a 911 call about a small fire in a
condominium in Lansdowne on May 12. By the time
responders from Lansdowne and Ashburn reached the
ninth-floor unit, the sprinkler system had extinguished
the fire. The sprinkler caused some water damage until
it was shut off, but it may have saved lives and
minimized property loss. The Loudoun County Fire
Marshal’s Office determined that the fire was
accidental. There was an estimated $10,000 worth of
damage. Apartment residents were relocated by the
property management and there were no reported injuries
among the residents or emergency personnel.
Return to Headlines
Julianne Hough Grateful for Burns Victim Role of a
Lifetime
ContactMusic.com (06/10/12)
Actress Julianne Hough has described "Lamb of God," a
movie about a Christian evangelist with burns over
two-thirds of her body, as her dream role. Hough, who
was also a regular participant on "Dancing With the
Stars," says she plays a burn survivor who is trying to
find out who she is all over again. She says the film
changed her life, adding that the role took her back to
a time when she was a young girl, when she loved life.
The film marks the directorial debut of "Juno"
screenwriter Diablo Cody. "It was one of those times in
my life where I will always remember that role," says
Hough. "Every day I told Diablo, 'Thank you so much for
giving me this role because every girl in Hollywood
wanted it.'"
Return to Headlines
Burn Treatment and Research
Sugar-Coating Wound Repair: A Review of FGF-10 and
Dermatan Sulfate in Wound Healing and Their Potential
Application in Burn Wounds
Journal of Burn Care & Research (06/01/2012) Plichta,
Jennifer K.; Radek, Katherine A.
In an effort to discover ways to accelerate the healing
of burn wounds, researchers have been studying
fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) to determine their role
in the wound healing process. The presence of FGF-10 has
been found to increase in the wound area after injury
and may promote healing. Dermatan sulfate, a
glycosaminoglycan that is present in human wound fluid,
is also theorized to be involved in healing, and in
combination with FGF-10 has shown to potentially
accelerate wound healing via increased keratinocyte
proliferation and migration. Dermatan sulfate, then, may
be a co-factor for FGF-10, and the two may speed healing
by stimulating keratinocyte activity. Current burn
treatment consists mostly of applying topical microbial
agents, and there are no routine therapies to speed
wound closure; therefore, the combination of Dermatan
sulfate and FGF-10 may be a helpful addition to existing
burn treatment.
Return to Headlines
Hazardous Products and Recalls
Cigarette Causes Fire
Wall Street Journal (06/08/12) P. A19 James, Will
The ash from a discarded cigarette triggered a massive
house fire in Putnam County, N.Y., killing four people
on May 1. Thomas Sullivan Jr., was the only person to
survive the fire, which claimed the lives of Police
Capt. Thomas Sullivan, his wife, Donna, and daughters
Meaghan and Mairead. Sullivan Jr. discarded the ash in
mulch near the family's porch in Carmel, N.Y., the local
police department said. The mulch smoldered during the
night and subsequently ignited latticework on the house
early the next morning, investigators said. The fire
eventually engulfed the entire two-story home, causing
it to burn to the ground despite the efforts of 50 fire
fighters who battled it for three hours. "After securing
witness accounts, evaluating physical evidence,
considering events leading up to the fire, and exploring
the plausibility of an ignition source, it was
determined that the probable cause of the fire was the
disposal of cigarette ash onto a mulch bed," Carmel
Police Chief Michael Johnson said at a June 7 news
conference. Dan Tomkins, who leads the Putnam County
Fire Investigation Team, said the mulch likely ignited
due to the recent dry weather, while wind picked up to
set the house ablaze. "It was the perfect storm," he
said. The house's lightweight construction also
contributed to its rapid burning, Tomkins said.
Return to Headlines
Massachusetts Man Catches Fire After Applying
Sunscreen
Yahoo! News (06/05/12) Haskell, Josh
After applying Banana Boat aerosol spray sunscreen to
his body, Massachusetts resident Brett Sigworth walked
over to an open-flame grill and received second-degree
burns to his chest, ear, and back--the only areas where
the sunscreen was applied. While the sunscreen carried a
warning that reads “Flammable, don't use near heat,
flame, or while burning,” it does not indicate that it
would still be flammable after applied to the skin.
Banana Boat officials say they have never heard of any
such incidents before but are taking the issue “very
seriously." Dan Dillard, CEO of the Burn Prevention
Network, said droplets from the spray may still have
been in the air when he walked over to the grill. "As he
approached the flame, the charcoal simply caught the
vapor trail and it follows the vapor trail to where the
bulk of the substance is, which is on his body," said
Dillard. Sigworth said he does not plan to sue but hopes
his story will warn others. "I think if people were told
this is flammable for two minutes on your skin, people
wouldn't use it," he said.
Return to Headlines
Man Suffers From Severe Burns After Gel Candle
Explodes on His Body
WECT-TV6 (Wilmington, NC) (05/23/12) Kosikowski,
Ashlea
Wilmington, N.C., resident Mike Leonard is receiving
treatment at Chapel Hill's burn unit for injuries from a
gel candle that exploded. Surgeons had to remove skin
from his thigh, which was damaged by flames and
infection. Leonard had lit a Napa Home and Garden Gel
Candle to repel mosquitos, but the gel exploded and set
his body on fire. At least two dozen people have been
injured by this product; the Consumer Product Safety
Commission recalled the gel product in June 2011.
However, Leonard said that his wife bought the gel
within the past year. The company that made the gel is
now out of business, and consumers who purchased the
product should return all bottles or jugs to the
retailer where it was purchased.
Return to Headlines
The inclusion of articles in the The Burn Briefing does
not imply the IAFF or IAFF Foundation's endorsement of
their content nor any particular organizations or
programs highlighted in these articles. Articles are
intended to increase awareness of media coverage of
topics relevant to our community and are provided for
informational purposes only.
Abstract News © Copyright 2012
INFORMATION, INC.
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