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Volunteer Firefighter Jeff Shaw, burned on June 2nd battling a house fire in Adelphi, was released from the Intensive Care Unit at Washington Hospital Center last Sunday. Doctors removed his breathing tube last Friday after his respiratory burns were healed sufficiently for Jeff to fully breathe on his own. He will require several months of rehabilitation and hospital visits before he is fully recovered. His facial burns around his mouth have healed much better than expected. More than 400 e-mails have been recieved from around the world. The outpouring of support, especially last week at the Maryland State Fireman's Association Convention in Ocean City, was incredible. The sign at the Department's hotel read "The HVFD THANKS YOU FOR PRAYING FOR JEFF SHAW". At the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department's picnic on Monday at the beach, volunteers from the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department made two posters which personnel from around the county signed. Coverage of the incident is also posted at the Convention Center. Tuesday night at the brach club Seacrets in Ocean City, DJ Batman called Jeff at his home in front of several hundred firefighters from around the state who were at the club. They cheered as the DJ talked to Jeff and Jeff joked that he "couldn't talk much and had some bad sunburn." |
| The Members of the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department ask all of our brothers and sisters in the emergency services to pray for a speedy recovery of HVFD Volunteer Firefighter Jeff Shaw. Thanks to everyone who has sent messages of encouragement. You can E-Mail jeff@hvfd.com and we'll forward your messages on to Jeff and his family. |
Jeff Shaw
c/o Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department
P.O. Box 1687
Hyattsville, Maryland 20782
Make all checks payable to the HVFD, noting "For Jeff Shaw" on the check.
HYATTSVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, INC
OFFICIAL MEDIA RELEASES
For Release: June 3rd, 1998
FIREFIGHTER RECOVERING FROM BURNS
HYATTSVILLE VOLUNTEER NOW BREATHING ON HIS OWN AFTER BEING RESCUED BY FELLOW FIREFIGHTERS FROM BURNING HOUSE
Shortly after 11pm on Tuesday, June 2nd, units were dispatched to 2205 Calvert Street in the Lewisdale section of Adelphi for a reported house fire. There were heavy fire conditions on the second floor following a lighting strike.
The crew from Hyattsville's Engine 11 was the second to arrive on the scene. Four members of the crew ascended the stairs to perform a search. Fire conditions worsened and all four were caught in a flashover as fire consumed two rooms on the second floor.
Volunteer Firefighter Jeff Shaw, a 21-year-old live-in member of the Hyattsville VFD from Shavertown, Pennsylvania, escaped down a flight of stairs to the outside where he was immediately transferred to an ambulance and transported to Washington Hospital Center's MedStar Burn Unit in critical condition. Shaw, a member of the Department since 1995 who works at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute in College Park, was suffering first- and second-degree burns to the face and had complications to his airway.
More than 30 members of the Hyattsville VFD and other Departments stood vigil at the hospital awaiting word on Shaw's condition. He was initially listed in critical, but stable condition, in the Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. By this afternoon, Wednesday June 3rd, Shaw was breathing on his own and his condition upgraded to serious, but stable condition.
The occupants of the house managed to escape prior to the fire department's arrival. None were injured.
Shaw's injuries were the most serious to any volunteer firefighter from the Hyattsville VFD since Volunteer Firefighters Alan P. Sondej was burned in a flashover in 1988. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Personnel from the county's Critical Incident Stress Debriefing team met with the membership in the hours that followed in the incident to help cope with the incident.
The Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department would like to publicly thank the members of the many other volunteer fire departments around the county and the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department for its strong support of our membership during this time of need. Their desire and willingness to fill-in at our Department, stay at the hospital with our membership and their general support has been greatly welcomed and appreciated.
A volunteer firefighter from the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department is now breathing on his own less than 24 hours after he was seriously burned while battling a house fire in Adelphi.
Governor Glendening Visits Burned Firefighter
Well wishes received from around the world on web site
Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening was among dozens of firefighters, friends and family who visited Hyattsville Volunteer Firefighter Jeff Shaw in his room at Washington Hospital Center today.
Shaw, a 21-year-old live-in volunteer, suffered first- and second- degree burns to face and respiratory burns while searching the second floor of a burning house in Adelphi Tuesday night.
According to Hyattsville VFD Deputy Chief Luke Alar, who grew up with Shaw, Glendening met with Shaw, his parents and HVFD President Jonathan Ransom for "a good amount of time." He called the meeting "very personal and private". Glendening lives in University Park, one of the primary communities served by the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department.
Following Glendening’s departure, many members of the Hyattsville VFD and others packed the hallway waiting to visit for a few moments with Shaw. Firefighters and emergency medical personnel from throughout the region, especially the District of Columbia and Montgomery County, have been visiting the hospital frequently.
He remains listed in serious, but stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit. He is breathing on his own through a tube and is expected to be hospitalized for several weeks.
E-mail messages have flooded the Department’s internet web site at http://www.hvfd.com. The well wishes and sympathy notes have come from as close as our neighboring fire stations in the Washington Metropolitan Area and Shaw’s hometown of Shavertown, Pennsylania to as far as locations around the United States and the world.
To support its members during this trying time, the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department is hosting dinners each night through the weekend as our vigil continues until Shaw is able to be taken out of the Intensive Care Unit in the next week.
- Read this article from Thursday's Prince George's Journal Newspaper about the fire and Jeff's injuries, as well as how our Department is coping.
Five Firefighters Injured in House Fire: One in serious condition after getting burns to face
