NFPA Journal - Spring 2021 - 24

Outreach by Lorraine Carli

ADVOCACY,
LEGISLATION,
AND PUBLIC
EDUCATION

Beyond the Burns
REMEMBERING ALAN BRESLAU: ENGINEER, MUSICIAN, AUTHOR, AND A
TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR BURN SURVIVORS AROUND THE WORLD

lan Breslau, the founder

had testified before the US Senate years
of the Phoenix Society for
before as part of the early attempts to
Burn Survivors, passed
require fire-safe cigarettes.
away in New Zealand over
Later at the event, Alan played the
the holidays at the age of
piano to a rousing ovation from attend94. Alan leaves behind an unmatched
ees-in addition to his training as a
legacy of advocacy for the support of
chemical engineer, he was an accomburn survivors and the prevention of
plished musician. A simple song or two
burn injuries.
represented his approach to life. No
Alan knew what it meant to suffer
plane crash was going to stop him from
those injuries. In 1963, when he was 37,
doing the things he loved. Not only had
he was in a plane crash while on a busihe inspired a whole new way of living for
ness trip in Rochester, New York. Of the
burn survivors, he did so while continu43 people onboard, seven died and 36
ing to play the piano, write books, play
Over the years,
were injured. Alan lost his nose, an ear,
tennis, and pursue all the other passions
I watched and listened
an eye, the top of his head, a thumb,
he enjoyed. Over the years, I watched
as hundreds of people
and some of his fingers to severe burns.
and listened as hundreds of people at
at the World Burn
The lack of support and isolation during
the World Burn Congress greeted Alan
Congress greeted
his early recovery drove him to change
by telling him how he had changed their
Alan by telling him
the world for burn survivors and create
lives. Like Alan, they weren't just survivhow he had changed
a worldwide community that includes
ing, they were thriving.
their lives. Like Alan,
survivors, caregivers, first responders,
Today we carry forward the work Alan
they weren't just
medical professionals, researchers, and
began. I am proud to have been assosurviving, they were
many more.
ciated with the Phoenix Society since
In 1977, inspired by the myth of the
I arrived at NFPA 15 years ago and to
thriving.
bird that rises from the flames in a more
serve on the Phoenix Society's Board of
beautiful form, Alan created the Phoenix
Directors. The Phoenix Society is now
Society for Burn Survivors (phoenix-sorecognized around the world as the
ciety.org). He worked to establish the
leading organization for burn support,
first burn camp for children in Pennsylvania, and he created prevention, and advocacy. NFPA supports the Phoenix Society
a program to bring people with burn injuries from developing for its World Burn Congress, an event that has grown in size
countries to the United States for care at no cost. Alan estab- and influence to become the premier gathering of the global
lished the first World Burn Congress in 1988.
burn community. The NFPA Faces of Fire public awareness
I first met Alan and his wife, Delwyn, at a World Burn and advocacy campaigns, aimed at reducing loss from fire
Congress a number of years ago, and I can still recall my first and electrical injuries, are created in collaboration with the
impression of him. Alan would have been in his early 80s. We Phoenix Society. Those campaigns embody the spirit and
talked about the NFPA campaign that advocated for fire-safe vision of Alan Breslau, who I now consider to be the original
cigarettes and the important role that burn survivors played in face of fire. He strongly believed that some good would come
successfully seeing every state in the country pass legislation of his tragedy. As it turned out, it hasn't just been good-it's
that made cigarettes less likely to ignite. He expressed gratitude been great.
and a subdued excitement that the effort would mean fewer
people dying or experiencing life-altering burns-in fact, he LORRAINE CARLI is vice president of outreach and advocacy for NFPA.

MICHAEL HOEWELER

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NFPA Journal - Spring 2021

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