Answering the Call: Damon Spring on Firefighting, Recovery, and Giving Back

When Damon Spring joined his local volunteer fire department, he was answering a call to serve his community. 🚒 During his rookie year, that calling changed his life forever. On August 18, 2018, Damon was caught in a wildfire burnover sparked by a helicopter crash, an event that would come to be known as the Sheep Creek Fire.

In this episode, Rachel sits down with Damon to talk about what drew him to firefighting, the day everything changed, and the long road of physical and emotional recovery that followed. Damon opens up about the hardest stretch of his journey—years two through five post-injury—and the support that carried him through it.

Now eight years into his firefighting career and a Phoenix SOAR Peer Supporter, Damon is turning his experience into hope for others. ❤️ He recently launched Scar Warriors, a social media community where he shares his story and offers encouragement to fellow survivors and anyone struggling with their mental health.

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Meet Our Guest

Damon Spring is 29 years old and has been a volunteer firefighter for 8 years. During his rookie year, he was involved in a wildfire burnover sparked by a helicopter crash on August 18th, 2018, later known as the Sheep Creek Fire. Damon became a peer supporter for Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors because he wanted to help other survivors — something he hopes to continue growing in. He recently started a social media page called "Scar Warriors" as a way to share his story, help others, and offer a little hope to fellow survivors or anyone who's struggling mentally.

Links

Learn more about Phoenix SOAR (Survivors Offering Assistance in Recovery): https://resources.phoenix-society.org/phoenix-soar

Follow Scar Warriors on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarwarriors/

Join Phoenix Society’s next Virtual Support Group: https://www.phoenix-society.org/what-we-do/virtual-support-group

Request a one-on-one peer support visit: https://resources.phoenix-society.org/peer-support-request