Burn patients and their families could soon have a new place to stay when receiving treatment as the B.C. Professional Firefighters' Association closes in on its fundraising goal for its new home in Vancouver.
The three-story building will house eight suites for patients and their families who come from around the province to receive burn treatment at Vancouver General Hospital or B.C. Children's Hospital.
"It's a home away from home while your loved ones are being treated in the hospital," Prince George Burn Fund representative Brian Burleigh said.
Not only will it give people a place to stay, it will connect families who are undergoing similar experiences and reduce the cost and stress associated with having to be away from home for long periods of time.
Retail space is planned for the main floor, with the income used to offset the cost of the accommodations. The second floor will have patient suites and the top floor will be used as office space for the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association and the Burn Fund. There will also be a green space and garden for guests to use.
Groundbreaking is expected for this coming spring and construction is slated to take a year to complete.
Patients and family members from around B.C. will have access to the facility and Burleigh said recent events show the need is there for northerners.
"In the past two or three years we've had some major incidents here with the Lakeland mill and [the fire at Babine Forest Products in Burns Lake] and we've had some local people dealing with burn issues," Burleigh said. "People don't realize how many people from the north need a facility like this."
Members of the firefighters association Local 1372 in Prince George have been raising money for the building through events like barbecues and silent auctions. Over the next three years, they hope to bring in $100,000, which would give the local branch naming rights on one of the suites.
Burleigh said upwards of $15,000 has already been raised and plans are in the works for a fundraising calendar and a gala event. Rather than the traditional firefighter beefcake calendar, the local group is envisioning one that would focus on the skills they develop and use on the job. Burleigh said images for the calendar could include firefighters deploying to a swift water rescue or high-angle rescue situations.
In addition to the home project, the Burn Fund also operates a camp for youth who have suffered burn injuries. Burleigh is one of many firefighters who have worked as counsellors at the camp and said it was amazing to see some of the children recovering from burns wear shorts for the first time because they felt safe in exposing their scars.
More information on how to donate are available at www.burnfund.org.
