Update on the Hyperbaric Chamber Fire in Troy, Michigan February 12th , 2025
On February 4th, 2025 the IHA gave an update on the accident that occurred in a hyperbaric chamber in Troy, Michigan that resulted in the heartbreaking loss of a 5-year-old boy.
At this time, we still don’t know the cause of the fire that occurred in the chamber. The IHA continues to be in contact with the investigators who are working this case and will update you as soon as we get current and accurate information. Comprehensive investigations take time, and I assure you that those involved with this matter are diligently working to determine the cause and origin of the fire so they can report accurately to the public. At this time, the IHA will continue to be ready and available to assist the investigators however we can.
In my last message to you, I asked that we resist the urge to jump to conclusions or spread unverified information. We continue to make that ask of our members and community at large. Other individuals and organizations are using this tragedy to spread misinformation, advance their own agendas, and misrepresent not only the regulations applicable to clinics but more broadly attacking the utilization of hyperbaric therapy for off-label indications at free-standing clinics. It saddens me to say that this is still occurring, with town halls and webinars being hosted to further push agendas and narratives that are not true about the off-label use of hyperbaric therapy. The IHA will continue to challenge these misleading statements, and advocate for the advancement of the field of hyperbaric medicine beyond the current approved indications.
A word of caution and note to anyone wanting to participate in these meetings, the organizations involved are against the very use and application of Hyperbarics in the way that we have and continue to advocate for. Please be cautious of any information that you may give to them, as they are against the very things that we have advocated for over 20 years.
Our commitment continues to remain steadfast: the IHA exists to serve the entire hyperbaric community—without bias between on-label or off-label use of hyperbaric therapy. We will always fight for the advancement of hyperbaric medicine through continued scientific research, for the fair and accurate representation of hyperbaric therapy for both on and off label use and its role in improving people’s health and quality of life.
This is not a time for division, but a time for us to collectively come together – for the family, those directly involved in the accident, for the industry and for the future of hyperbaric therapy.
Tomorrow, I ask that we all take a moment of silence and reflection, as the family of Thomas Cooper lays him to rest. Let’s stand united, support one another, and honor the memory of this young life lost too soon.
With much gratitude,
Shannon Kenitz