Heroism in the Line of Fire

It seems sometimes that heroes are a dime a dozen. From athletes who shoot hoops on the court to actors who shoot bad guys on the screen, hundreds, if not thousands, wear the “hero” label--although few very well. So common and often undeserved is the label that the question arises: How to distinguish those whose actions are truly heroic?

Consider, for instance, William Jensen, the Glendale firefighter who was severely burned in October’s Calabasas/Malibu blaze. Last week, after more than three months of excruciating treatment at the Grossman Burn Center in Sherman Oaks, Jensen returned to his Glendale home on his 53rd birthday. In the hours after flames scorched 70% of his body, few thought the 250-pound firefighter would survive--only about one person in 10 with those kinds of injuries does. But Jensen’s pure will to live and the expert care of the burn center’s doctors, nurses and technicians allowed him to beat the odds.

In the weeks after flames overtook him in Corral Canyon, Jensen endured surgery after surgery--16 in all. Little things, like the sweetness of a lollipop, took on new significance as Jensen relearned tasks as simple as walking. All the while, Jensen maintained the good nature and warm heart that endeared him to his medical team. They, in turn, devoted every energy to allowing Jensen to live as normal a life as possible. They saved his left hand, still swollen and tender, from amputation by taking the extraordinary step of sewing it into an abdominal pouch to help with skin grafting.

Jensen didn’t ask for his pain, which he bore with grace and courage. But he did ask for the job he performed for 27 years. As a firefighter, Jensen regularly held others’ futures in his hands--often at great peril to himself. When his own future was in doubt, others took him into their hands. These are the real heroes: Quiet people like Jensen and the medical staff, who still believe that the best work is work done for others.