Salt Lake fire captain and EMT instructor charged with sexually abusing students

Yahoo

31-01-2025

SALT LAKE CITY () — A captain with the Salt Lake City Fire Department has been charged for allegedly sexually abusing two students while he worked as an EMT instructor at a Salt Lake County community college.
Christopher David Burk was charged in the Third District Court with six counts of second-degree felony forcible sex abuse and one count of third-degree felony attempted forcible sexual abuse.
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'The defendant, in this matter, used his position of trust as a paramedic instructor and firefighter at a local station to prey upon his victims,' charging documents state.
Wednesday, without naming Burk, the Salt Lake City Fire Department released a statement that a firefighter had been placed on administrative leave following misconduct allegations.
'In line with this commitment, we take any allegations of misconduct seriously andare dedicated to ensuring a thorough and transparent investigation process,' the statement said in part. 'The Salt Lake City Fire Department holds all members to the highest standards of conduct both on and off duty. Any behavior that does not align with these standards will be addressed swiftly and appropriately.'
According to charging documents, in October 2024, a student told Sandy City police that she was enrolled in EMT classes at the community college and that Burk asked her if she wanted to stay behind and 'review some things' at the end of class.
He took her to another classroom where he allegedly said he would show her how to 'do assessments.' He then allegedly sexually assaulted the student.
In January 2025, a Sandy police detective was informed by the college that a second student reported that Burk had sexually assaulted her. She allegedly told police that while she was a student in the EMT program, she felt 'targeted' by him.
She told police that he would often use her as an example to demonstrate assessments to the class and that he touched her inappropriately when doing so on multiple occasions.
Burk reportedly asked her to go on a ride-along with the Salt Lake City Fire Department, to which she agreed believing it would allow her to see real-world applications of what she learned in class. Charging documents state that during the ride-along, Burk would try to 'keep her in areas of the fire department where they were alone.'
The student reportedly said that he took her to an office to do assessments, where the assault happened.
The charging documents state that both students were fearful of reporting the incidents as they were scared of potential retaliation that could affect their schooling or future employment.
'Other program instructors have confirmed to Sandy City police that the 'assessments' demonstrated by Burk that led to the nonconsensual sexual touching are not legitimate techniques taught in EMT courses,' a press release from the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office said.
In the release, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill addressed the importance of students feeling safe in school.
'If you find yourself in an unsafe situation, I encourage you to report it to the authorities. Your reports are essential to our prosecution. We can only prosecute offenses that are reported to law enforcement. If we cannot prosecute, we cannot hold individuals accountable for their actions,' he said. 'I want to thank the efforts of Sandy City police for investigating this case. All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.'
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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