by Brian O’Halloran
On Friday, February 12th, the Woodbridge Township Board of Education, in conjunction with the Woodbridge Township Fire Fighters Association I.A.F.F. Local 290, sponsored a presentation of After the Fire to an audience of high school seniors from across Woodbridge Township at Woodbridge High School.
After the Fire chronicles the harrowing experiences of Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons who managed to survive a dormitory fire during their freshman year at Seton Hall when they were 18 year-old roommates, on January 19, 2000. The incident claimed the lives of three students, and sent 58 students and firefighters to the hospital for various injuries.
Llanos and Simons were of the 58 injured. According to their website, www.alvaroandshawn.com, Simons suffered second degree burns to 16% of his body, and smoke inhalation, while Llanos suffered third degree burns to 56% of his body, including his head and torso.
Now, the pair travels the country, speaking as fire safety advocates while preaching fire prevention. The message is an important one to Board of Education member Mr. Frank Dellapietro, who is also a Fords firefighter.
“Last year, at one of our county fire prevention meetings…we found out about the After the Fire program for the high schools. Woodbridge Fire Official Keith Repace [President of I.A.F.F. Local 290] and [I] wanted to get this program to our high school students. When I presented the idea to John Bader and Glenn Lottmann, they were on board right away.”
Mr. Dellapietro recommended the program to Assistant Superintendent Mr. John Bader, and the Woodbridge Township Fire Fighters Association I.A.F.F Local 290 graciously funded the event. “[Mr. Dellapietro] mentioned that the fire company’s do a lot of fire prevention work with our younger, elementary, students and this was something new for older students,” Mr. Bader said.
The presentation was held in Woodbridge High School’s 1,000 seat auditorium, and groups of seniors were bussed in from John F. Kennedy Memorial High School in Iselin, and Colonia High School.
“We want to make sure [that high school seniors] are aware that fire safety should not be taken for granted,” Ronn Weisenstein said, the Supervisor for Athletics, Art, Nursing Services, P.E., and Health who helped coordinate the event. “We wanted to gear it toward the seniors because they would be possibly attending college the next year.”
Senior Catie Nadler, who was in attendance for the event, said, “We’ve seen a lot of videos about fire safety, but the presentation was the reality check that students needed.” Nadler also found the experience emotional, and her classmates readily agreed.
It was very emotional,” said senior Steven Rusin. “I heard people around me crying in the audience—I almost cried myself. It made me question what I would do in a situation like that.”
The students’ reactions echoed Mr. Bader’s clear expectations for the presentation. “The obvious lesson we wanted students to take away is awareness of fire safety procedures in the college dorm environment,” he said. “Know your exits, know your procedures, participate and pay attention during drills.”
His hope is that students also become more cognizant of how their actions impact not only themselves, but others. “The less obvious takeaway is: think before you do something that may harm yourself or others…
“Many seniors will be on their own for the first time next year. With this new freedom will come increased autonomy and greater responsibility. If this program can remind one student to think before they take an action that may harm themselves or others, then the program will have helped a student have a better life,” Mr. Bader said.
Overall, the message was loud and clear, and has seniors thinking about what they would do if they found themselves in a similar situation. As senior Marissa Bowden said, “[The presentation] really showed me what it’s like to experience a traumatic situation. I never knew it was that serious, and I never knew fire prevention safety was that important.”
For now, Mr. Dellapietro is working with Mr. Bader and Mr. Weisenstein to bring Llanos and Simons back to Woodbridge next year, to send the same message about fire prevention to the Class of 2017.
Until they return, Mr. Bader is happy simply to have had Woodbridge Township students hear Llanos and Simons deliver their message. “I can’t thank Mr. Dellapietro and the [Woodbridge Township Fire Fighters Association I.A.F.F. Local 290] enough for bringing this powerful program to the students,” Mr. Bader said. “In my 25+ years in education, this is the most impactful program that I have experienced!”