Contact: Rebecca Ruiz Hudman 520-360-0308
rebeccaruizmcgill@bannerhealth.com

TUCSON, Ariz. (Dec. 10, 2019) – The Tucson Fire Department will host the Banner – University Medicine Level 1 Trauma Center and Burn Program for a Tucson firefighter experience on Monday, Dec. 16. The experience includes fighting a live fire, rappelling from a tower, hose handling class, live fire walk-through, burn room experience and more.

The firefighter experience will be held at the Public Safety Academy, 10001 S. Wilmot Rd., Tucson, from 8:30 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m. and includes lunch for participants.

The Tucson Firefighter Experience was one of the auction items offered during the Tucson Firefighter Ball held in June. Banner – University Medicine Burn Program director, Lourdes Castañón, MD, FACS, bid on and won the experience and has invited members of the burn program team and the Banner – University Level 1 Trauma Center team to participate.

Participants include:

Bellal Joseph, MD, FACS, chief of Trauma, Critical Care, Burns, and Emergency Surgery

Lorraine Earley-Thibaut, MSN, RN, CMSRN, Surgical Trauma and Burn Intensive Care Unit

Amanda Hall, RN, Surgical Trauma and Burn Intensive Care Unit

Jennifer Garred, RN, Surgical Trauma and Burn Intensive Care Unit

Claire Wells, AC-PNP, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Alex Gastelum, RN, MSN, Trauma/Burn Intermediate Care Unit

Partners in community health and safety, the Tucson Fire Department and the Banner – University Medicine Level 1 Trauma Center and Burn Program teams work together to expedite and deliver care for those in need of emergency services.

Banner – University Medical Center Tucson is the only American College of Surgeons Certified Level 1 Trauma Center in Tucson. Certified as a Level 1 Trauma Center since 2008, B–UMCT features 10 Trauma Surgeons, 4 clinical Trauma Fellows and 15 Residents, as well as 6 advanced practice providers on any given day. B – UMCT has 7 specific trauma bays separate from the emergency department bays. 

The Level 1 Trauma Center also has 10 burn rooms, a 24-bed intensive care unit and an operating room specifically for trauma. The Burn Program includes services for children and adults.

In addition to providing patient care, the Banner – University Medicine Level 1 Trauma Program provides professional education for EMTs, paramedics, nurses and physicians throughout the Tucson and Southern Arizona community.

The Tucson Fire Department is the second largest municipal fire department in Arizona and operates 21 fire stations. Currently, TFD has 22 engine companies, 9 ladder companies and 17 paramedic companies in service. It also boasts specialized heavy rescue, hazardous materials, mass casualty and mobile command center equipment, as well as a 158-acre, state-of-the-art public safety training academy.

The Tucson Fire Fighters Association represents more than 600 uniformed personnel of the Tucson Fire Department as well as the uniformed personnel of the South Tucson Fire Department and the Tucson Airport Authority Fire Department. It also hosts numerous charitable fundraisers to benefit cancer research, muscular dystrophy, and child injury prevention and burn treatment.

About Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and South

Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and Banner – University Medical Center South, are part of Banner – University Medicine, a premier academic medical network. These institutions are academic medical centers for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. Included on the two campuses are Diamond Children's Medical Center and many specialty clinics. The two academic medical centers are part of Arizona-based Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country, with 28 hospitals in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com/UniversityTucson or www.bannerhealth.com/UniversitySouth.