Donations for paramedic critically injured in ambulance fire shatter fundraising goal

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A GoFundMe page has been started to support the paramedic critically injured in Wednesday night’s ambulance fire.

Paramedic Jeff Wilkinson is being treated in the burn unit at Straub Medical Center.

The GoFundMe was started by fellow paramedic Kea Smith.

‘Everything is on the table’: Cause of deadly ambulance fire remains unclear

On Friday, city Emergency Services Director Dr. Jim Ireland thanked the community for the outpouring of aloha.

“We know it could have been anybody in the back of the ambulance,” he said. “And what we are doing for him, we know we would do for anyone else, but the fact that we’re the ones in need right now we really appreciate it.”

The GoFundMe page has already surpassed its $100,000 goal, with more than $132,000 raised and donations continuing to come in.

The Wilkinson family shared the following statement on Saturday:

We would like to thank everyone for their support. We’re incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love and generosity from family, friends, and even those who have never met Jeff. We appreciate his EMS family, and all the first responders, for everything they’ve done for us in the past few days. We are also grateful to the Castle and Straub medical staff for taking amazing care of him. Although Jeff has a long and difficult recovery ahead of him, he’s progressing better than we expected. We look forward to the day that he’s able to return home. We look forward to the day that he’s able to return home. We ask that we’re given privacy as we help Jeff to heal and recover.

Meanwhile, unions representing first responders are calling for changes in safety protocols.

The United Public Workers wants immediate inspections of all vehicles. They’re also urging members to report any workplace safety issues.

EMS leaders said they need to see results from the ongoing investigation before making changes. However, they also stressed that they will not wait until the final report to start making safety adjustments.

To donate, click here.