Friday, February 20, 2015

Local Firefighters work with UMC Burn Unit for local kids - Las Vegas, NV


702-379-3401

In Nevada, for every fire-related death, there are approximately 13 fire-related injuries. 

David Radcliffe of the Radcliffe Group of Keller Williams Realty Southwest Las Vegas is passionate about giving back and has partnered with his friends Nino Galloway, Firefighter and VP of The Firefighter’s of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation, Warren Whitney, President, and Mary Martinat, The UMC Burn & Trauma Outreach Coordinator, to help raise safety awareness, and showcase the dedication and efforts that go into improving the lives of burn victims and treating them. We'll go behind-the scenes at UMC and invite you to join us.



According to a UNLV, School of Community Health Sciences Nevada State Health Division Bureau of Child Family and Community Wellness report, Fires are the 2nd leading cause of unintentional injury death among children in our state. About 800 children ages 14 and under suffer an unintentional fire death annually in Nevada. Over half of these children are under the age of five years. The CDC also reports that losses to society from childhood burn deaths and injuries total exceed $5.5 billion each year. Two-thirds of fire-related deaths and injuries among children under age 5 occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Nationally, African American, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native children are at higher risk than White children for home fire deaths. Education is the key to safety and fire prevention.

Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation focus on education since most victims of child-set fires are almost always children; 85 of the 100 lives lost to child-set fires in the U.S. are children and often, are the fire-setters themselves or younger brothers or sisters who are affected. Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation “provides assistance to burn victims and their families; at risk children that are identified by local fire agencies; they assist in catastrophic events as a resource to fire agencies and the community and further education and awareness of fire and life safety.”


The Children's Hospital of Nevada at UMC is the “first and only hospital in Nevada to offer Pediatric Burn Care and Organ Transplant Services. With the help of the local Lions Club, The Lions Burn Care Center opened in 1968, the only Burn Care Center certified by the State of Nevada. Today they provide inpatient and outpatient care to residents of Utah, Arizona, California and Nevada.

The Burn Care Unit is staffed by highly-trained personnel, experts in putting kids at ease. They make sure children feel comfortable and safe. They prepare the children and their families for procedures, tests and surgery, help them deal with stress and provide support. Children are entertained with age-appropriate, creative and educational activities and games brought to their bedside or in a well-equipped, cheery playroom.” A fire victim’s recovery continues long after being discharged; hospitalization is only the beginning of life changing experiences that come with a burn injury. To meet the needs of patients the burn center offers burn survivors the opportunity to meet and assist one another through a burn support group. Burn Survivor support is crucial in the days, weeks, months and years following a burn injury. The support group is a place for burn survivors to give and receive both emotional and practical support as well as to exchange information. The support group gives burn survivors insight, strength and connections to others who are dealing with similar challenges.


Get Involved and Volunteer: The UMC Lions Burn Care Center staff work with various health and safety fairs, and numerous agencies to promote burn prevention. Some of the organizations are the Risk Watch program, Clark County School District (who educate students on burn prevention, fire safety, escape plans, etc.) and The Safe Kids organization.  The UMC Lions Burn Care Center also works in conjunction with local fire and police departments developing safety prevention programs including the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation. There are many ways you can help Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation fulfill its missions and assist victims of fire and other catastrophic events, assist communities and organizations, and further the education and awareness of fire and life safety. Contact David Radcliffe at 702-379-3401 to get connected to The Firefighter’s of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation or visit to get www.CHNV.com to see how you can help.


Help your family and children avoid being victims of a catastrophic burn and follow these safety tips:

Be alarmed! Install and maintain smoke alarms in your home, on every floor and near sleeping rooms.Test your smoke alarms once a month to make sure they actually work. Cook with care. Never leave the stove unattended and always supervise children in the kitchen. Check your water heater's temperature. Set the thermostat to 120 degrees or lower. Infants who aren't walking yet can't get out of water that may be too hot. Call 9-1-1 when there is a fire emergency and get yourself and loved ones to safety as quickly as possible.

Written by Nickel Lowman
With content from
For Dave Radcliffe, The Radcliffe Group
Keller Williams Realty Southwest
702-379-3401

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