D.C. Firefighters Adopt Burn Center

Foundation's Next Step Is a Campaign to Create a Pediatric Care Unit

Epiphanies often happen during late-night solitude, and sure enough, D.C. firefighter Jason Woods had one as he kept overnight watch at Engine 22 a few years ago.

He worked on the idea for almost two months before dropping it into casual conversation at the firehouse one day.

"He said, 'What do you think about starting a burn foundation?' " recalled firefighter James DiGregory recently. "I asked him, 'What is a burn foundation? What do we do?' "

Fast-forward more than three years later, to Oct. 29. Moments after four firefighters from Engine 4 dove through flames to escape a fast-moving Capitol Hill rowhouse fire that had trapped them on a second floor, Woods and DiGregory took action.

The two off-duty firefighters, now serving as president and vice president, respectively, of the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation, rushed to Washington Hospital Center.

As worried family members arrived at the hospital, the firefighters provided information and comfort. They arranged for food and hotel rooms. They coordinated transportation. And they stood guard at the intensive-care unit to protect the privacy of their injured brethren as well-intentioned well-wishers came bearing flowers and gifts.

"They took care of any needs for myself, my family, my girlfriend," said Charlie Shyab, who spent 15 days in the burn unit as a result of injuries from battling the fire. The 30-year-old firefighter had second-degree burns over more than 20 percent of his body. He is recovering at home.

Two of Shyab's colleagues, firefighters Douglas Donnelly and Kenneth Humphries, suffered minor burns and were released from the hospital after a short stay. Their commanding officer, Sgt. Michael LaCore, had second- and third-degree burns over more than half of his body. He spent seven weeks in the hospital before going home.

Since the blaze, Woods, DiGregory and other members of the foundation have served as crucial liaisons between hospital staff members and the injured firefighters and their families.

When his lieutenant asked how he could help, DiGregory suggested that firefighters in stations across the city prepare meals to bring to the hospital.

"We make sure in taking care of families that they're not getting stressed out," DiGregory said. "If they have somebody in that ICU, they're going to sit there. They're not going to eat, they're not going to drink and they're going to get themselves sick. . . . Part of our job is to look out for them."

The assistance was welcome. "We were astounded at the help they offered," said Jocelyn Shyab, Charlie Shyab's mother. "They were tremendous."