A member of the South Carolina Fire Service for over 30 years, Chief Ryan C. Eubanks began his fire service career serving as a volunteer in southern Spartanburg County, S.C. in 1991. His career has brought him through the ranks of the fire service as he has served the citizens of Spartanburg, Greenville, and Oconee Counties with increasing levels of responsibility. Chief Eubanks is currently serving as the Fire Chief of the newly consolidated South Spartanburg Fire District in Spartanburg, SC.

Chief Eubanks has been active in the related extensions of the fire service throughout his career. He currently serves as the Region 1 representative and Board chairperson for the SC Firefighters Burned Children’s Fund (SCBCF) which actively engages in the prevention of pediatric burn injuries throughout South Carolina. The flagship program of the SCBCF is “Camp ‘Can’ Do”, an overnight camp for children who have sustained significant burn injuries. Chief Eubanks serves as the camps’ Logistics Director. From 2017 to 2022, Chief Eubanks served on the Executive Committee of the SC State Firefighters’ Association as the EMS Committee chairperson.

Chief Eubanks is a graduate of the South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association Leadership Institute and the UNC Charlotte Fire & Rescue Management Institute. He received “Firefighter of the Year” awards from the City of Woodruff Fire Department in 2001, the Greater Greenville Exchange Club in 2013, and the Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce in 2014.

He is married to his wife Rebecca, and they have twin sons, Tegan, and Tyler. They live on their small family farm in Simpsonville, SC. In his free time, Chief Eubanks enjoys the outdoors through camping, fishing, and hunting.

Deputy Fire Chief Ross Vezin was born in Jupiter, Florida. In 2008, Ross moved to Beaufort to start his career with the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department.

In 2011, Ross graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science and in 2013 he graduated with a master’s in business administration (MBA) with an emphasis in Public Administration.

In 2014, Ross graduated from the South Carolina Leadership Institute through the South Carolina Firefighters’ Association. In 2015, he graduated from Leadership Beaufort through the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce. In 2020, Ross graduated from the Risk Management Institute through the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

Ross currently serves on the Executive Committee as the chair of the Member Benefits Committee for the South Carolina Firefighters’ Association. He is a Past President of the of the Burned Children’s Fund where he has served as a volunteer camp counselor since 2010. In 2016 and 2022, Ross was selected to attend the International Association of Firefighters National Burn Camp in Washington DC.

In 2019, Ross was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Beaufort Alumni Award at the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce Civitas Awards ceremony.

Heather Burford has a 33-year history with the American fire service. Soon after graduating from Iowa State University, Heather joined the Wilton Fire Department in Connecticut as a volunteer firefighter and fell in love with public safety services. In 1993, Heather was hired as a Firefighter/EMT with the Manchester Fire Rescue Department in Connecticut where she spent 13 years working her way up through the ranks of the department. She held the positions of Firefighter/Paramedic, Fire Lieutenant, Fire Captain, and Battalion Chief before leaving Manchester to become the Fire Chief of the Ridgefield Connecticut Fire Department in 2006. Heather spent eight years leading the combination department in Ridgefield before heading south to Florida where she served as the Fire Chief for nine years with the Seminole Fire Rescue Department in Pinellas County.

Heather holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Connecticut, is recognized by the Center for Public Safety Excellence® as a Chief Fire Officer and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.

Heather has a long history of community involvement and volunteering. She is an active member of Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization serving communities before, during, and after disasters, and she currently serves as an advisory commission member for her local fire district. Heather lives in Lancaster County, South Carolina close to family and amongst other activities, she enjoys kayaking, sporting clays, pickleball and volunteering within her community.

Being from a military family, Chief Malcolm Burns has lived in Charleston, SC, Nashville, TN, and Virginia Beach, VA, but has spent the majority of his life in St. George, SC. He graduated from St. George High School, spent 3 years in the Robert Bosch Apprenticeship Program, and continued working at Bosch for 23 years in various positions within the company. He joined the St. George Fire Department in 1995 as a volunteer, where he eventually became the Fire Chief, and served with the department in this capacity until he was hired in his current position as the Deputy Chief of the newly formed Dorchester County Fire Rescue in 2012.

Chief Burns is the President of the SC State Firefighters’ Association, he serves as an At-Large Member of the Burn Fund Board of Directors and has volunteered in the Logistics Group for Camp Can Do for the last 9 years. Chief Burns is married to Sandy, his wife of 35 years, and has two children, Taylor (Alyssa) and Caroline (Clayton), and has four Grandchildren (Greyson, Rylie, Weslin, and Waylon).

Franklin resides in Greenwood, SC and has two kids. He has been a full-time member of the Greenwood Fire Department for 14 years and currently serves as a Captain on Tower 1. Franklin also volunteers at the Highway 34 Volunteer Fire Department in Greenwood County and serves as an Assistant Chief. He isaon the South Carolina Firefighters’ Association Advisory Committee and hold a Bachelors Degree in Fire and Emergency Service Administration from Colorado State University.

Deputy Fire Marshal Rodney Howell is a 25-year veteran of the West Columbia Fire Department. He currently sits as the Region Six Burned Children’s Fund Board member that serves Lexington, Richland, Calhoun, Orangeburg, Barwell, Bamberg, Allendale, and Aiken Counties. He is happily married to his bride of 34-years with two children. He enjoys spending time with his family whenever the opportunity arises and time in the great outdoors. Much of his time has been given to fostering the next generation. Building up our most valuable resources by making sure that they have the necessary tools to navigate today’s challenges and opportunities given by life’s choices. Somewhat of a jokester, he enjoys the camaraderie that comes from working with the fire wervice and the Burned Children’s Fund as we work together to make today a safer and better place for tomorrow. Over time spent at the fire station, he developed a passion for cooking. Great food and entertainment go hand in hand gathered around family and friends . Life is meant to be shared with others and that’s just what he enjoys doing.

Stephanie joined the fire service as a volunteer junior member of the Independent Fire Company No. 4 in Ranson, West Virginia in 1995. She achieved Firefighter certification and National Registry EMT before going to college at Eastern Kentucky University. There she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire & Safety Engineering Technology.

in 2001, she married her college sweetheart Mike and was hired as a firefighter with Spartanburg Fire Department. Stephanie held positions as a driver and company officer while concurrently serving as the department’s accreditation manager.

A big family move in 2010 landed Stephanie and her family in Charleston. She reset her fire service career, becoming a firefighter with the North Charleston Fire Department. The next 13 years included achieving the ranks of engineer, captain, and deputy chief, while concurrently serving as the department’s accreditation manager. As Deputy Chief of Professional Standards, she managed accreditation, safety and health, public education, fire investigations, and public information.

One of her biggest achievements in life was the 8-year journey to complete a Master’s Degree in Safety, Security, and Emergency Management in 2012 while working full-time, having two children, remodeling a home, and relocating; only taking courses when time and money allowed. She was credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer and Peer Assessor by the Center for Public Safety Excellence®; also a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. She retired from North Charleston Fire Department in 2024 and is now fully dedicated to the SC Burned Children’s Fund and Camp ‘Can’ Do.

Stephanie started volunteering for Camp ‘Can’ Do in 2011 as a camper transporter. The next year, volunteering as a camp day-helper, then counselor, and finally activities coordinator. She had found her passion beyond emergency response - supporting burned children and making fun-filled experiences for them. She now functions as Camp Coordinator for Camp ‘Can’ Do.

Big Al is the Burned Children’s Fund Board Member from the Pee Dee Region 4 of the state. He started his career in the fire service where he grew up in Brunswick County, North Carolina in 1993. While serving as the Chief of the Civietown Volunteer Fire Department, he tested for the City of Myrtle Beach Fire Department and was hired there in 1993. During this time, he was asked if he would like to help with a summer camp for kids who had been patients at the MUSC Burn Center. Hospital staff and the firefighters from the Charleston Fire Department wanted to provide the kids with a fun camp and reached out across the state for volunteers. Big Al was one of the first to put his hand up. Going to camp, going to the beach, fishing, arts and crafts sounded like an awesome time for the kids and counselors as well! The first Camp Can Do was held in 1997 at Camp Saint Christopher. For most of the kids, this was the highlight of their summer. For Big Al, this was going to be a lifelong mission. He has attended every camp and gets to take the kids fishing every day at sunrise. “I know the kids love to fish, and I love taking them!” he says. He maintains his own tackle, makes all the rigs, and cuts his own bait. Fishing has been one of the highlights of camp since the beginning. Big Al retired from the Myrtle Beach Fire Department in 2019, but says “as long as I’m breathing air, I’ll be going to Camp Can Do!!”

As the Pediatric Burn Program Coordinator of the SC Burn Center at MUSC, Tiffany is devoted to promoting optimal outcomes for burn patients and providing patient, family, and staff education. She was an integral part of the 2022 Camp ‘Can’ Do success story after a two-year pause in camp because of the pandemic. In 2022 and 2023, Tiffany led camper recruitment, camper registration, camp finances, and camp planning. She took an active role during camp as a camp leader and is a trusted mentor for campers, volunteers, and staff. Tiffany now maintains an active role as the MUSC Pediatric Burn Center Liaison to the SC Firefighters Burned Children’s Fund. She continues to promote Camp ‘Can’ Do to pediatric burn patients and assists in camp planning.

Her 17 years of nursing include experience in the largest pediatric critical care referral facility in South Carolina. Tiffany earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of South Carolina and maintains certification as a South Carolina Registered Nurse, Pediatric Nurse, Basic Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Advanced Burn Life Support.