Tony Burke grew up in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where he completed high-school and finished a three-year Business Management diploma from Cape Breton University. He has been an active community volunteer throughout his career and life.

Tony moved to British Columbia (BC) in 1995 to pursue a fulltime career in the Fire Service. In 1997 he achieved his dream. With eleven years experience as a career fire fighter with Coquitlam Fire Fighters Local 1782 and Coquitlam Fire Rescue Service, 16 years in the Fire Service total, his commitment to the job as a fire fighter and his community as a volunteer is well documented and evident by the respect he has earned from his peers.

Tony, while in BC, also held the position of Executive Director of the BC Professional Fire Fighters' (BCPFF) Burn Fund, a volunteer position he had been elected to for seven years, 2002-09. The Burn Fund is supported by the BCPFF Association which has a membership of over 3,700 career fire fighters in 49 locals throughout BC and one local in the Yukon.

Tony, in November 2008 was appointed by IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger to the IAFF Burn Foundation as Burn Coordinator, as a result of his extensive background in all aspects of the Burn Community. In this position, working on behalf of the 297,000 career fire fighters in North America, he is working on initiatives dedicated to fire prevention and burn awareness education, advocacy, burn research and improving the quality of life for burn survivors. Currently, he is coordinating the annual IAFF Burn Foundation's International Burn Camp and a National Scald Prevention Campaign, while building the organization with newly appointed IAFF Burn Foundation District Coordinators around North America.

Tony and his wife Stacey Loen, enjoy hiking, running, reading and spending time with family and friends.