D.C. Firefighters Adopt Burn Center

Associate Director James Jeng, left, and Director Marion Jordan of the Washington Hospital Center Burn Center accept a $60,000 check from Jason Woods, Kenneth Crosswhite and James DiGregory of the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation. The money will be used to refurbish the center's rehabilitation gym. (By Mark Gail -- The Washington Post)
Buy Photo

Woods and DiGregory know many of the doctors and nurses personally through their contributions to the burn unit. They have attended burn conferences with hospital staff and spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours building relationships between the fire department and the hospital, which is the Washington region's adult burn care center.

Since its incorporation in September 2004, the foundation has raised a few hundred thousand dollars, much of it going to fund equipment upgrades and renovations in the hospital's burn unit. The group's membership is now in the hundreds, Woods said.

He said he got the idea after looking at the Web sites of similar foundations in New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia and received crucial start-up help from members in those cities.

The foundation's efforts benefit more than just firefighters.

This year, the 501(c) (3) organization will donate $60,000 to help refurbish the burn unit's rehabilitation gym. Money has also been spent to purchase televisions and DVDs for patient areas and to repaint parts of the burn unit.

"If we're going to risk our life to save somebody else's life, we want to ensure they're going to get the best possible care to survive," said Woods, president of the foundation.

The group also has contributed money to Children's Hospital to provide toys and equipment, and to buy tub testers to measure the temperature of bathwater. Many kids get scorched when parents and guardians unwittingly place them in tubs with water that is too hot.

The foundation also helps burn victims in their recovery. In the past few years, the foundation has sent children who are burn survivors to a week-long sleep-away camp in Connecticut, where they can go swimming, hiking and rock climbing in shorts and T-shirts. It's one place where no one stares at their rough skin or discolored patches. Several D.C. firefighters serve as counselors and chaperones.

The group also sponsors day trips to amusement parks and an annual trip on the D.C. fireboat.

Woods, who estimates that he spends 30 hours a week on the foundation, has ambitious goals for the future. He hopes to help fund a pediatric burn center at Children's Hospital.

Local children with severe burns often travel to Boston Shriners Hospital, which specializes in pediatric burn care.

"I think it's a shame we're in the nation's capital and we're sending kids to Boston for burn care," Woods said. "One of my goals is to see a pediatric burn center in the city."

Contributions to the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation are tax-deductible. Checks can be sent to P.O. Box 71056, Washington, D.C. 20024.