For Health Care/Safety/Fire Prevention

"What a remarkable story! You have made a real contribution to all the people with disabilities and indeed their friends and caregivers by sharing your observations in this way."
-Mayo Clinic

Understandably so, George Burk has a special place in his heart and mind for health care and safety professionals, first responders, and firefighters. He knows their importance in our lives and their unique challenges.

A horrible plane crash in 1970 left him horribly burned and severely injured. He wasn't expected to live. Lying in a field, burned, broken, scared and praying to God to not let him die in that field all alone. The first two people he saw outside the burning plane were volunteer firefighters. Its first responders like them that helped save his life. George didn't know that a few minutes after the plane crashed a rancher accidentally and miraculously discovered him on fire. The rancher extinguished the fire on his body and went for help. George's rescue and recovery has been called a miracle. The professionalism, perseverance and commitment of his doctors, nurses and staff gave him a second chance to live. The love of his family gave him a "why" to live so he could endure almost any "how." His 35 years experience with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the psychological, spiritual and holistic health strategies he uses daily.

George's story is one of turning a tragedy to a positive, accepting change, thinking and acting like a survivor, not a victim.

He spent 90 days in intensive care. When prevailing medical wisdom indicated otherwise, his two doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to keep him alive. He survived numerous life-threatening issues and had two Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). George crossed the bridge, saw the door and saw the light. He believes we all have guardian angels.

From outstanding high school and college athlete, George's message is one of making change an ally, and overcoming adversity in daily living. He speaks with passion and compassion, humor and dignity about the strength of the human spirit and the innate will to survive. He knows that every human life has value and meaning. George challenges his audiences to think positive and to have a personal plan with a vision, goals and objectives. He opens hearts and minds to look toward the future, not the past, and encourages doctors, nurses, administrators and care givers to identify obstacles and triumph over them. George challenges first responders to follow established procedures and to always wear their equipment properly.

George's first book "The Bridge Never Crossed - A Survivor's Search for Meaning" is a compelling story of optimism, perserverance, courage and faith.

Picture of George at West Point
George Burk's Clients Include:
  • Arizona Alarm Association Conference, Wild Horse Pass Resort & Casino, Phoenix, AZ
  • Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Hazardous Materials Conference, Sun River Resort, OR
  • North Dakota Homeland Security Hazardous Materials Conference, Bismarck, North Dakota
  • Virginia Hazardous Materials Conference, Norfolk, Virginia
  • International Associaton of Fire Chief's (IAFC), HazMat Conference, Hunter Valley, MD
  • HotZone Safety Conference, Houston, Texas
  • British Columbia Fire Training Officers Conference, Langley, B C.
  • Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management Conference, Norman, OK
  • Fire & Emergency Services, Luke AFB, AZ
  • Kansas City (MO) VA Hospital Veterans and Staff
  • Florida Veterans Adaptive Golf Project
  • B.C. (Canada) Fire Chief's Association
  • Ontario (Canada) Professional Firefighters
  • Phoenix Fire Academy
  • Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, District's 1st Serious About Safety Conference
  • Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District's, Annual Celebrate Safety Banquet
  • Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile Alabama District's, Annual Celebrate Safety Conference
Some of George's Popular Keynotes and Training Seminars include:
  • Lifeforce: Overcoming Obstacles

    The sole survivor of 14 passengers in a plane crash, George Burk overcame life threatening burns and multiple internal injuries. Watch the edited Discovery Health Channel video and listen to George's remarkable story of survival, tenacity and endurance. His recovery has been called miraculous, courageous and an example of the human spirit. Was his discovery and rescue an accident, fate or divine intervention? His two Near-Death Experiences. The innate will to survive. Find a "why" to live, you can endure almost any "how." Nothing worse than an amputated spirit. Role family, friends, faith, humor and a healthy life style plays during and after recovery. Transformation from burn victim to survivor and overcomer. Acronym PURPOSE, Life's Lessons (God's Winks).

  • Quality In Life and Work

    Quality improvement can be applied to business and your personal life. George Burk was critically burned and severely injured, the sole survivor of 14 passengers in a military plane crash. Did several of W. Edward Deming's 14 Points for Quality improvement assist him during his recovery, rehabilitation and transformation from victim to survivor? Can applying several of Deming's points - help you and help you assist others to improve their personal and business processes to achieve success in life and business? Hear George's remarkable story and learn what improvement and quality are all about.

  • Value Centered Leadership

    Seven Characteristics of a Value Centered Leader. Create commitment by articulating a vision. Envision a context for change. Authentic self-expression - who you are and what you do and say. Actions mirror your words. Effective leaders MBWA-O. Do you pull from the front or push from behind? Do you try to 'swim' without getting into the water? Six "do's" and "don'ts" when communicating with employees.

  • Develop An Attitude...A 'Safety' Attitude

    Your attitude equals your altitude. Connecting our personal vision with purpose and goals. Cultivating self-esteem and creating a balanced life. Using faith and a holistic lifestyle to enhance your personal journey. Humor will get you through anything. Includes examples (slides) which reinforce the importance of following proper safety procedures, equipment utilization, and materials handling.

  • It's Good To Be Alive

    If you were given a second chance at life, what would you do with it? Create, achieve and sustain excellence. Find your Purpose and the best Vision of yourself. Abilities not dis-abilities. Faith, Hope and Holistic Health. Forge your own path. Who changed your ‘bandages?’ Personal core values. The internal gyroscope. Life’s like a three-legged stool - physical, emotional, spiritual. Humor and healing. PTSD and Survivor Guilt. Be the best you can be. Create your own destiny, your ‘footprints.’ What’s your legacy? What do you want it to be? Own it! Attention versus Intention. Aspire to Inspire before you Expire.

  • Quality Customer Service - A Burn Survivor's Practical Experiences

    The three (3) C’s and a P of quality and personal leadership---Competence; Courage, Compassion and Perseverance. Each defined. Learn the specific circumstances in which the “Three C’s” and a P” were used by George’s doctor, nurses and family in the hospital that helped save George’s life. Competence, Courage, Compassion and Perseverance are vital personal core values. Like all core values, they are sequential: personal, then professional. There’s nothing worse than an amputated spirit. Focus on the internals, not the externals.