About Burn Awareness Week

Burn prevention is a key endeavor of Shriners Hospitals for Children, which is why the hospital system began its Burn Awareness Week campaigns more than 20 years ago. Held the first full week of February each year, Burn Awareness Week is recognized by the National Health Information Center, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The 2008 Burn Awareness Campaign

Reckless use and improper storage of gasoline leads to thousands of young children being burned every year. These dangerous behaviors are being addressed in Shriners Hospitals 2008 Burn Awareness Week campaign.

Shriners Hospitals specializing in burns have treated more than 800 children since 2002 for acute burns due to ignition of a highly flammable material such as gasoline. To help teachers, fire safety educators and parents teach children about the dangers of gasoline, the 2008 campaign provides printable lesson plans and fact sheets, as well as printable coloring pages featuring Anthony the Ant, who takes kids along on his mission to prevent gasoline injuries.

“Tweens” and teens ages 10-14 years old are four times more likely to get in trouble with gasoline. For this age group, the campaign uses the personal story of Austin Bailiff, a teen who sustained serious burns over most of his body as a result of he and a friend experimenting with gasoline to set fire to a glove. Austin shares his experiences in an effort to reach out to other teens in an effort to prevent others from making the same mistake.

In addition to the resources immediately available on this Web site, Shriners Hospitals for Children is making free resources including DVDs available to educators, fire professionals, medical professionals, parents, caregivers and the media that can be used during Burn Awareness Week and throughout the year.