Local firefighters will hit the streets again this year on March 10 throughout the county to raise funds in its Annual Firefighters Boot Drive to help support local burn survivors with all donations going to the Burn Institute San Diego. Burn Institute provides life-changes services for burn survivors and works with firefighters and volunteers to educate communities on how to prevent fires and burns, and in a grassroots effort, local firefighters have hit the streets with their empty boots to collect donations for two decades now.
Burn Institute Executive Director Susan Day said that the Burn Institute has a “wonderful and positive relationship” with the fire departments throughout San Diego County. She said that is what makes this annual event so successful. The Institute is a local nonprofit celebrating its 50th year, and this year’s goal for is largest single-day fundraiser is $200,000.
“They recognize the need for fire and fire burn prevention services and programs, and they also understand the sensitive nature of burn survivor’s support. If someone endures burns, they need additional efforts and programs that can help them in their healing journey,” she said.
Day said that the Institute is thankful for the firefighters that go out into the community and hold the boot on its behalf, and that the money is invested back locally.
Day said that its prevention efforts are essential because 80% of burn injuries are preventable. She said adopting simple habits in their day-to-day homes and lives can prevent a tragic burn injury or fire. Day said the Institute’s fire and burn prevention education programs and burn survivor support services such as Camp Beyond the Scars for burn-injured children. In addition, a portion of the Boot Drive donations are used to sustain the Red Line of Courage Fund, designed to provide financial support to members of the fire service who sustain a burn injury while on duty. This unique program assists with the immediate and long-term needs that arise while our local heroes are recovering from the trauma of a burn.
Day said scald injuries are the largest type of burn injury that the UCSD Regional Burn Center sees, with about 40% being scald injuries.
“The UCSD Regional Burn Center has more than 450 inpatients a year,” she said. “They are going to see the more significant burns. They have thousands of follow ups, clinical visits, and medical appointments with burn survivors. To add to that, there are lesser burns seen at hospitals, urgent cares, and pediatrician offices, so it is kind of like an unknown injury because many people do not think about burns daily. There are many more burn survivors in our community than we realize because many people do not have that outward scarring, or if they do have scars, they can conceal them.”
Day said that weather, traffic, and emergency calls can make it difficult for people to directly contribute to the Boot Drive.
“That is one reason we encourage donors to consider going online to the Burn Institute website, and make a one-time gift, a reoccurring gift,” she said. “We want to make sure that the firefighters stay safe out there in the traffic.”
Day said in visiting its website there is plenty of prevention tips, its programs like Fire Safe Kids where it teaches elementary students about fire prevention and safety.
“Even during COVID, last year we reached 17,000 children with that program alone,” she said. “We are constantly trying to get people, whether they are children, adults, new parents, to get information on how to prevent scalds and other injuries, and also, things like wildfires.”
To learn more about prevention, programs and to donate to the Boot drive, visit www.burninstitute.org.
