UC Promotes Fire Safety at Sept. 9 After The Fire Events

With the tragic loss of two students in a fire earlier this year, the University of Cincinnati launched a new initiative in fire safety.  As part of that initiative, UC’s Safe Housing task force will host two free, public programs on Monday, Sept. 9. 

“After The Fire,” with sessions at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. will feature personal testimony from the families of Chad Kohls and Ellen Garner, UC students who died in an off-campus fire on New Year’s Day this year. Also featured in the program will be Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons, who survived a fatal fire at Seton Hall University in 2000. Highlighting the program will be the Cincinnati premiere of “After The Fire,” a documentary about that fire and its impact on Llanos and Simons.

UC will present “After The Fire” twice – at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. – on Monday, Sept 9. Both events, free and open to the public, will take place in the Great Hall of UC’s Tangeman University Center.

“We anticipate drawing a large attendance for this event,” said Daniel S. Cummins, assistant dean of students. “Our effort to raise fire safety awareness among faculty, staff, and students, whether on and off campus, has generated a great deal of interest.”

The documentary to be presented on Sept. 9 “After the Fire: A True Story of Heroes and Cowards” had its college premiere at Seton Hall University in 2012. Directed by Guido Verweyen, whose work includes the 2001 Oscar-nominated documentary “The Man On Lincoln's Nose," the film chronicles the January 2000 fire that killed three students and injured 58 others. “After The Fire” also tells the story of the two critically burned survivors Llanos and Simons and their journey of forgiveness and resolve to live their best lives, despite the tragedy.

Among the initiatives launched this year is a Safe Student Housing Program coordinated by the City of Cincinnati, a program to help students find rental properties that have passed city fire inspection. Properties that pass fire inspection will be listed on the city Safe Student Housing website for two years.

UC posts fire prevention information for students here: http://www.uc.edu/publicsafety/fire_emergency/fire_prevention.html

The event is sponsored by UC's Division of Student Affairs, Student Government, Safe Housing Committee, UC Parent Association, BearCAT - Community Action Team, Student Government Safety Board, Public Safety and UC's Office of Resident Education and Development.