When was the FFBI founded and why? The Firefighters Burn Institute was founded in 1973, after the tragic jet plane crash into the Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor in South Sacramento that took the lives of 23 people. There was no burn care in Sacramento at that time. Captain Cliff Haskell of the Sacramento Fire Department along with Sacramento Area Fire Fighters, Local 522 founded FFBI with a goal of establishing a local burn treatment facility in Sacramento. About one year later Sacramento’s first burn unit was established at U.C. Davis Medical Center.

Is the FFBI a nonprofit? Yes, the FFBI is a well-established nonprofit 501(C)3 charitable organization. FFBI meets the Northeast California Better Business Bureau standards for ethical conduct and charitable accountability.

How much of my donation goes toward overhead costs? FFBI has a yearly audit performed to ensure that each dollar raised will be used for its intended purpose. To calculate FFBI’s overhead costs, use our expenditure chart and add General Administrative and Development together. To view our expenditure chart please click link: Expenditure Chart 2023

Does FFBI only assist Firefighters? Although firefighters are a major part of the Firefighters Burn Institute, FFBI provides burn survivor program support and prevention/education services to the entire community.