Trending Topics

Salt Lake City fire captain charged with sexually abusing EMS students

Authorities say the fire captain used his role as an EMT instructor to inappropriately touch students under the guise of medical assessments

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A captain with the Salt Lake City Fire Department and paramedic instructor at a local community college has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing two of his students.

Christopher David Burk is accused of using his position of authority to assault the victims under the pretense of demonstrating medical assessments, some of which were reportedly not part of the curriculum, according to charging documents obtained by KSL.com.

Burk was taken into custody by Sandy police on Jan. 29. He faces six counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony and one count of attempted forcible sexual abuse, a third-degree felony.

Prosecutors allege that Burk exploited his roles as both a paramedic instructor and firefighter to target the victims, violating their trust during classroom training sessions.

Police began investigating Burk in October after a student reported he had inappropriately touched her under her shirt during an EMT class, claiming to demonstrate medical assessments, according to the charging documents. She said she was too scared to report the incident, fearing retaliation, the documents stated.

During the investigation, a second woman came forward, alleging Burk repeatedly targeted her for assessments in class, touching her inappropriately multiple times, the documents state. She also reported an assault during an August ride-along.

An EMT program employee confirmed Burk’s actions violated policies, including prohibitions on one-on-one instruction and physical contact under clothing. One victim dropped out of the program due to the trauma, according to prosecutors.

The Salt Lake City Fire Department acknowledged the allegations in a prepared statement, though it did not specifically name Burk. The department stated it is cooperating with authorities regarding the misconduct claims.

Burk remains in custody as the legal proceedings continue.

Trending
FDNY
The actor worked as a firefighter from 1980 to 1984, and returned to his department to help the week after the 9/11 attacks
There’s a fire service-inspired costume for everyone on our list, from babies to kids to adults and, yes, even your pets
California is the first state to own two C-130 Hercules cargo planes outfitted for wildland firefighting
Officials said the wildfire in the Pine Barrens has grown more than 23 square miles and is the largest wildfire in the last two decades

Bill Carey is the associate editor for FireRescue1.com and EMS1.com. A former Maryland volunteer firefighter, sergeant, and lieutenant, Bill has written for several fire service publications and platforms. His work on firefighter behavioral health garnered a 2014 Neal Award nomination. His ongoing research and writings about line-of-duty death data is frequently cited in articles, presentations, and trainings. Have a news tip? He can be reached at news@lexipol.com.