Bill Text: NY J00344 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim February 3-9, 2019, as Burn Awareness Week in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-02-05 - ADOPTED [J00344 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J00344-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 344

BY: Senator LAVALLE

        MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
        February  3-9,  2019,  as Burn Awareness Week in the
        State of New York

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of  this  Legislative  Body  to  recognize
official  weeks  set  aside to increase awareness of serious issues that
affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body is proud to proclaim
February 3-9, 2019, as Burn Awareness Week in the State of New York,  in
conjunction with the observation of National Burn Awareness Week; and

  WHEREAS,   Developed   as   an   initiative  of  the  American  Burn
Association, National Burn Awareness Week serves as a vehicle to promote
burn awareness and prevention among  the  general  public,  as  well  as
high-risk groups, like children and older adults; and

  WHEREAS,  Burn  Awareness Week is designed to provide an opportunity
for burn, fire and life safety educators to unite in  sharing  a  common
burn awareness and prevention message in our communities; and

  WHEREAS,  Burn  injuries continue to be one of the leading causes of
accidental death and injury in our Nation  where  tragically,  children,
the elderly and the disabled are especially vulnerable to burn injuries,
and  almost  one-third  of all burn injuries occur in children under the
age of 15; and

  WHEREAS, Annually,  in  the  United  States,  approximately  486,000
people  receive  medical  care  for  treatment of burn injuries; in 2016
alone, there were 3,280  deaths  from  fire  and  smoke  inhalation  and
another  40,000  people  were  treated  in  hospitals  for  burn related
injuries; and

  WHEREAS, Children under the age of five are 2.4  times  more  likely
than  the general population to suffer burn injuries requiring emergency
medical treatment, and young adults ages 20-29  have  a  probability  of
burn  injury  which  is  roughly  1.5  times  the  risk  of  the general
population; and

  WHEREAS, The primary causes of these  injuries  include  fire-flame,
scalds,  electrical  and  chemicals, with most injuries occurring in the
home; and

  WHEREAS, Today,  96.8%  of  those  who  suffer  burn  injuries  will
survive;  unfortunately,  many  of  those survivors will sustain serious
scarring, life-long physical disabilities, and adjustment  difficulties;
and

  WHEREAS, Significant research and medical advances have dramatically
improved  burn  care  and  treatment,  aided  rehabilitation,  shortened
hospital stays, and increased burn survival rates; and

  WHEREAS, Aftercare support for the physical and emotional effects of
burns has also played a key role in the successful reintegration of burn
survivors into our communities; furthermore, burn safety  education  and
prevention  efforts  continue  to reduce the number of people who suffer
burns each year; and

  WHEREAS,  Many  people  devote  their lives and careers to treating,
caring  for,  supporting  and  rehabilitating  burn  injury   survivors,
including  those performing vital work in burn research and development;
and

  WHEREAS, Countless dedicated firefighters risk their own lives every
day to protect others,  and  burn  foundations  and  other  life  safety
professionals  steadfastly promote burn injury awareness and prevention;
and

  WHEREAS, By memorializing this week, it will remind children how  to
be  responsible for their personal safety, and increase family awareness
of potentially harmful situations; and

  WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness  of
this  important issue, and more must be done to increase activity at the
local, state and national levels to reduce the incidence of burn-related
injuries; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
proclaim  February 3-9, 2019, as Burn Awareness Week in the State of New
York; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted  to  The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of
New York.