Burn Survivors and Fire Service Personnel--Meaningful Interactions

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Burn Survivors and Fire Service Personnel--Meaningful Interactions
Patricia Mieszala, Burn Concerns National Consultant and Education Services Paul Machado, Fall River Fire Department Amy Acton, The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors

Perhaps nothing is more inspiring to the human spirit as the courage and resiliency of those who survive fire and burn injury. As fire service/EMS personnel come in contact with survivors, whether as the first responders at the scene of their emergency/ injury encounters, on through various phases of recovery, rehabilitation, and prevention advocacy, questions arise regarding how to have interactions that are comfortable, supportive, and meaningful for all parties. What type of support is needed by burn survivors? Are there attempts at offering support that are less than useful? Through personal and professional experiences, panelists will provide an insight into the emotional and psychological impact of burn injury, providing suggestions for useful interactions.

Presented by:

Patricia Mieszala, Burn Concerns National Consultant and Education Services
Patricia Mieszala, RN, is president of Burn Concerns, National Consultant and Education Services in Burbank, CA. Pat has national-international recognition in the areas of psychiatry, burn care, rehabilitation, prevention, fire/life safety, youth firesetting/ arson, and injury prevention. Pat's current work follows 10 years of service as the Psychiatric Burn Nurse Clinician at the Sumner L. Koch Burn Center of Cook County Hospital in Chicago. There, Pat initiated psychological and social rehabilitation programs for burn survivors and their families. Pat is a member of the American Burn Association and served on their Board of Directors. She also served as a contract consultant, advisor, and representative for the NFPA Public Education Division for over 30 years. She continues to serve on the Executive Board of the NFPA Education Division.

Paul Machado, Fall River Fire Department
Lieutenant Paul Machado is a 22-year member with the Fall River Fire Department in MA. He is a lieutenant on heavy rescue, with 5 years as an EMT on medical rescue. On March 8, 2013 he was trapped in a fire searching for a victim with his crew. This caused him and another crew member to jump from the second floor. He sustained severe burns and wasn't able to return to full duty for almost a year. Paul is a certified instructor with the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. As a member of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, he has presented at their World Burn Congress. Paul is a contributor to the NFPA Home Fire Sprinkler Initiative, sharing his story in a "Faces of Fire" video.

Amy Acton, The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors
Amy Acton was named Executive Director of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors in 1998. She has dedicated her career to advocating for the expansion of burn recovery services and resources for burn survivors and their loved ones. She started her career as a burn nurse and later became a nurse manager at the Spectrum Health Regional Burn Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she herself was treated at age 18 for an electrical burn injury. Amy, along with the board, staff and volunteers of the Phoenix Society, has developed and expanded several national programs that have increased accessibility to long-term recovery resources for those in the burn community and helped to build a thriving advocacy program to add the survivors' voice to national burn prevention and quality care issues. She serves at the secretary of the NFPA Board of Directors and on the board of the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition.