Buzzly Bee's Blog

Buzzly's New Memphis Friends

Buzzly Fire Safety would like to introduce you to some of Buzzly's Very Best Friends.  Joanna from Memphis, Tennessee wrote the following story as a homework assignment.  It is an incredible essay about her brother, her Faith and the devastating effects of fire............. Listen to the story in Joanna's own words..........

Hi, my name is Joanna,

I would like to tell you a sad story that happened to me and my brother and sister. 

It began on a nice day and my older sister Leah was watching us.  My brother John and I were having a good time playing outside.  Then we went in our shed to play horse, because our favorite animal is the horse.  The shed was dark inside, so I said to John, "We need some light."  I went in the house to look for something.

Without knowing the danger, Leah got me a candle.  I also got some matches to light the candle, never letting Leah know what I was doing.

I went back to the shed with John, lit the candle, and put it on a board.  The board was in the shed to help us get to the higher shelf in the shed.  The top shelf is where all the hay was that our miniature goats would need for winter.

My sister Leah was doing the dishes when John and I were outside, and no one knew we had a candle outside.

I was 7 years old and John was 4.  John and I were playing up and down on the board.  When I ran down the board, I knocked the candle over in the hay.  I saw my mistake and tried to fix it with a cup of water.  But it didn't work. 

I got scared and told John to come down, but by then the fire was burning the board.  I screamed and said, "John Come Down".  But little John was too scared to come down.  He said, "NO, I can't, I'm too scared."  I could see that John was getting smoke in his body, so I ran to the house to get Leah.  I told her that John was in the shed and it caught fire.  Leah grabbed her baby and went outside.  When she saw the fire, she put her baby down and ran into the burning shed.  The smoke was too much so she came out, got a breath of air and went back in.  Leah felt John, but the smoke was so bad she had to come out again.  She took another breath and went back into the fire.  She found John, and started to carry him out, but John was more heavy than usual and she fell.  John was not breathing.  She prayed to God, "Please God don't let him die."  He started to breathe again, and Leah started to cry as she ran with him in the house.  Our next door neighbor wanted to know what was wrong.  She helped Leah with John.  The fire department came and put out the fire, and then they found out why John was so heavy to carry.  It was our dog Max.  He laid on John's stomach to save John from burning all over.  Max died in the fire but we will always remember him.  But all the other animals were OK.  John and Leah were sent to the hospital.  John had to have many operations but he is still alive, and Leah was burned also and she is doing well now also.             Love Joanna

Buzzly met John (who Buzzly calls "Johnny"!), Joanna and their family during a recent Buzzly Fire Safety trip to Memphis.  Watch the Buzzly Blog for more information about Johnny's recovery.  Joanna will be a new contributing writer for Buzzly's Blog.  We at Buzzly fire Safety are Blessed to have met such wonderful people as Johnny and his family.

First Aid for Burn Injuries

Burn Injuries are painful and traumatic.  The possibility of encountering someone with a burn injury is staggering.  Buzzly Fire Safety wants you to be prepared with the proper first aid techniques for burn injuries.  1.  Stop the Burning Process.  If you encounter someone with burning clothes or burning hair, use LOW Pressure water to extinguish the flames OR smother the flames (REMEMBER STOP, DROP and ROLL)   2.  Provide First Aid; assist breathing (CPR) if necessary, Stop Bleeding, Treat for Shock and Prevent Further Trauma.  3.  Keep the victim warm.  Wrap in a sheet or blanket, paying careful attention to the burned area to prevent contact.   4.  Stay with the victim and Provide Emotional Support.   5.  Seek Professional Medical Help  (CALL 911). For More Fire Safety information, to Donate or Volunteer for Buzzly Fire Safety, Inc., call (678) 817-1569 or click here for Buzzly Fire Safety's web site.

Joseph M. Still Burn Center

Augusta, Georgia is home to one of the World's Premier Burn Unit Hospital.  The Joseph M. Still Burn Center was founded in 1978 to provide first class medical care for burn survivors.  Over the past 30, the Center has grown into the Largest Burn Center in the United States.  With a 97.5% Survival Rate, the Joseph M. Still Burn Center leads the medical industry in successful burn treatment.

The caring, professional staff, team of nurses and doctors together have received hundreds of awards and accolades for outstanding medical care.  The majority of the Joseph M. Still Burn Center's employees have worked at the Center for over 10 years.

The Burn Center recently was thrust into the National Spot-light when 2 high profile celebrities were airlifted to the Center after a plane crash in Columbia, South Carolina.  Travis Barker, drummer from the former rock group Blink 182, and his close friend DJ AM were the only survivors from the Lear Jet crash that left 4 other dead.   Last February, an explosion at the Imperial Sugar Company in Savannah, Georgia again tested the staff at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center.  Dozens of burned victims were air-lifted to the Center.   

Buzzly Fire Safety Staff and Volunteers have had many opportunities to visit the Joseph M. Still Burn Center.  We are continually impressed with the thorough care that patients are provided at the Center.  For more information about the Center, or to volunteer with Buzzly Fire Safety, visit out web-site at www.BuzzlyFireSafety.com

Basic Burn Treatments for All Ages

It doesn't always take a Burning Building or an actual Fire to cause burn accidents.  Scalds are the leading cause of Pediatric Burn Deaths in the Home for children up to four years old.  Preventing accidents and educating everyone about the importance of Safety are Buzzly's most important responsibalities.  Read the article below for more information on how to prevent Burns in the Home, and How to Treat Burns Properly.   

Monday, Sep. 01, 2008

Burn basics to help treat adults and children

By AMY KOSSOFF SMITH

- The Business of Motherhood

There are many times that parents step into the role of Dr. Mom, but treating a burn is one that guarantees anxiety. It's helpful for parents to educate themselves on some basic first aid and CPR so they're prepared for the unexpected.

I'll never forget carrying a paper plate with steaming corn when I was 7 years old, on a father-daughter Indian Princess cooking trip. The plate caved, along with the boiling water, and I've got a small scar to remember that experience.

Also, rushing to get dressed for a best friend's wedding, I learned never to use a hair straightener without also wearing a shirt. Burning your shoulder right before walking down the aisle in a strapless dress is far from ideal. Plus, even in today's tattoo frenzy, a bright red boil hardly passes for a cool mark.

And, when I was ironing bead art for my then 4-year-old, and he touched the hot iron to see if it was hot enough. That was confirmed shortly after in the ER, along with emergency burn treatment.

War stories aside, how should you react when your child gets burned?

According to the American Burn Association (www.ameriburn.org) and the Burn Foundation (www.burnfoundation.org), every 25 seconds, someone in the United States is burned or scalded in their home. Scalds are the leading cause of accidental death in the home for children from birth to age 4 and account for 60 percent of the burn injuries for children up to age 14.  "It is essential to quickly and consistently cool the area when a child gets burned," says Dr. Daniel Rifkin, a pediatrician at Penn State Children's Hospital, assistant professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine and a former volunteer firefighter. "Even simple burns from splashes of hot water or coffee can lead to ongoing injury of the skin if the heat is not removed right away."

The Arizona Burn Center at Maricopa Medical Center Web site notes that "the first few minutes after it occurs can make a difference in the severity of the injury." Their site lists some great tips for parents:

1. Stop the burning process. Remove the source of heat. If clothing catches fire, stop, drop and roll to smother out the flames.

Stop: Do not run away when clothing is on fire. Running will only fan the flames.

Drop: Drop to the ground, and cover your eyes and nose with your hands.

Roll: Roll backward and forward like a rolling ball. This will help put out any clothing that is on fire.

2. Remove all burned clothes. Clothing may retain heat and cause a deeper injury. If clothing adheres to the skin, cut or tear around adherent area to preserve good skin tissue.

3. Pour cool water over areas burned. Keep pouring the cool water for at least three to five minutes (30 to 40 minutes for chemical injury). Do not pack the burned areas in ice! This may increase the extent of injury and cause hypothermia.

4. Remove all jewelry, belts and tight clothing from over the burned areas and from around the victim's neck. Swelling of burned areas occurs immediately.

5. Do not apply ointments or butter to wounds. These may cause infection due to their oil base and convert wounds to deeper injury.

6. Cover burns with a clean dry dressing, bandage or sheet.

7. Keep victim warm.

8. Seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The experts at Burn Jel Plus (www.burnjelplus.com) offer the following kitchen safety tips:

- Avoid wearing loose-fitting long-sleeved clothing when cooking.

- Have good lighting in the kitchen and work areas.

- Always keep pot handles turned inward, toward the back of the stove. Cook on rear burners whenever possible.

- Keep a large lid within reach when frying to extinguish grease fires, if necessary.

- Use large potholders or oven mitts.

- Avoid leaving food to cook unattended.

- Use a "fill-through-the-spout" teapot, the kind without a lid and with a whistle in the spout, to prevent "spilled water" scalds.

- Avoid using area rugs in the kitchen, especially near the stove. They can cause falls and scalds.

- Purchase appliances with short cords, and keep all cords from dangling over the edge of counters, as they can be pulled down. The grease in deep fat fryers and cookers can reach temperatures higher than 400 degrees and cause serious burns in less than 1 second.

- Periodically check all handles on appliances and cooking utensils to ensure the handles are tightly fastened and will afford proper heat protection.

- When removing lids from hot foods, remember that steam may have accumulated. Lift the cover or lid away from your face and arm.

- Steam reaches temperatures greater than 200 degrees when using a microwave, and builds rapidly in covered containers, which can result in burns to the face, arms and hands. Puncture plastic wrap or use vented containers to allow steam to escape while cooking. Or wait at least one minute before removing the cover. When removing covers, lift the corner farthest from you and away from your face or arm.

For More Fire Safety Information, visit us at www.BuzzlyFireSafety.com.