A Jarring Memory
The evening of Dec. 1, 1958, is planted firmly in my memory. I was sitting in my dad’s upholstery shop doing my homework and listening to the radio. The news reports told of a fire at Chicago’s Our Lady of Angels School and the increasing number of bodies being removed. The radio announcer also read a list of hospitals where parents could find injured children and victims’ bodies.
On that cold December day 50 years ago, 92 school children and three nuns were burned to death; the fire’s origin remains unknown.
In 1996, David Cowan and John Kuenster wrote, “To Sleep with the Angels.” Their book details the story about the Our Lady of Angels School fire and the significant changes to fire codes and schools not only in Chicago, but across the nation.
The Our Lady of Angels School fire is called “the fire that no one can forget.” And that is why it was so surprising to hear that, as a result of a lawsuit involving a child falling from a school’s window, the Chicago Board of Education has installed bars across windows of Chicago public schools.
We first heard about the Otis Elementary School’s barred windows from a coworker whose friend works at the school. Classrooms on the fourth floor have a mixture of students, including disabled children, and only one door. The school’s teachers were concerned about an emergency and took these concerns to the principal; they were told that the bars were to keep kids from falling out the windows.
My co-worker asked me about fire codes and schools and I deferred to my contacts at the Chicago Fire Department. A Chicago fire marshal soon appeared at the classroom and pronounced the bars on the window as illegal. The bars could not be opened from the inside or outside, and yes, would prohibit firefighters from entering or students exiting through the windows.
The Chicago Fire Department has since stated that it was waiting for the fire inspector’s official report from the fire inspectors. In the meantime, we’ve heard of two more Chicago public schools that also have bars across the windows.
Ironically, I recently received a review copy of “Remembrances of the Angels” by John Kuenster. It will be published later this month and includes interviews with 28 Our Lady of Angles School survivors, family members of the victims, firefighters, police and reporters. I called the publisher and advised him of the latest twist of fate and school security.
We frequently hear that history repeats itself, but this is one history that must not. Schools must deal with security and access issues to protect students, but emergency evacuation also is critical.
When was the last time you walked through the schools in your area? With the 50th anniversary of this tragedy, why not take a team through every school — public or private, pre-school or university — and review the safety procedures for students and teachers. Be proactive and educate teachers about fire safety in classrooms.
Another common saying goes, “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” If, God forbid, history does repeat itself, all of us — firefighter, school teacher, parent and community members — will suffer the guilt for not doing everything we could to keep the children safe.
God bless the sleeping angels.
November 7th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Do those schools have fire sprinkler systems? One child falls, and they barred the windows, to prevent such future hazard. Ironic though is that, 92 died in that fire, yet and after 50 years, more than likely most of the older schools in Chicago still don’t have sprinklers. I think that is a serious case of misplaced priority.
November 7th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I was 8 years old sitting in a barbershop which was connected on one side to the local fire house, and I remember seeing the huge headline in the afternoon paper about 92 children and also nuns who had been killed. I went home and watched news about it on television. Like you, that day has remained with me for 50 years. I have read ‘To Sleep With The Angels’ twice, have purchased copies for others in the fire service, and I will begin to read it again near the anniversary. Heartbreaking as it is, I try to learn something from each reading.
That local firehouse has moved a half block and I have proudly served that fire company, the Abington Fire Company as a volunteer for 41 years, the last 15 years as Chief. I have no doubt been influenced by that headline 50 years ago.
I often think about Our Lady of the Angels fire. I can’t imagine. I will say with you – ‘God bless the sleeping angels’.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
God bless those who fight for the safety of little ones who cannot fight for themselves, that there may not be anymore sleeping angels.
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Matthew 18:14
November 7th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
This is a classic case of failure to communicate. If those wanting the bars on the windows had communicated their intentions to the fire authorities beforehand, they would have known of the safety conflict the bars create. An alternate means (bars with release devices) could have been considered - or better yet, require fire sprinklers in the building in conjunction with release devices for the bars! Even though the bars are well intended to solve one problem, they add to or create other problems. Seems the idea was not thought out or communicated very well before being implemented. Perhaps your article will cause them to re-visit the situation with all stakeholders (including the fire department this time) to hopefully find an alternative solution that addresses all concerns.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I just finished reading your “A Jarring memory” article. Great job! I had no idea that CPS was putting bars on school windows – and Otis is near my house!
My husband’s father belonged to the Knights of Columbus at Our Lady of Angels so he knew several of the families. You are so right that who forget history…
Of all cities anywhere, I can’t believe that Chicago would forget and that Chicago schools would even think of putting up bars. But then again, it didn’t happen in a CPS school.
Now I am curious – what other 2 schools have bars?
Thanks for the article,
Cheryl
November 7th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
School administrations have always had tunnel vision when it comes to safety issues. They look at the fire inspector is someone who is going to cause them to have to spend money from an already tight budget to fix things that they do not think are hurting anything at all. Bars on windows, chains on doors, that is their answer to everything. Bars on the windows will keep students from falling out of, jumping out of, or getting thrown out of a window. They will also keep the gangs and other criminals from breaking in and defacing the property and stealing from the school. Chains on the doors will keep the students in and the gangs out during the day. They just do not want to think about what will happen if their is a fire, they never had one before so the event is very unlikely. Old building, Old wiring, scabbed wiring overloaded breaker boxes that are way out of date, some of them still use the old glass screw in fuses.
They just do not want to see the whole picture, they do not care about the whole picture, just their little world right there in front of them and that is it. If the fire inspector raises cain with the fire marshal about the school and he takes it to the school board, they get mad and call the city manager or the mayor and tell them that the fire marshal is picking on them. The city manager calls the fire chief and teh fire marshal, and tells them not to ruffle any feathers just to let it go. Enough of the let it go and over a few years it really gets to be a problem. Safety of the students, safety for the firefighters if they have to go in and perform search and rescue activities. But the good ole boys are satisified. In government things dealing with safety are the first to get left out because they usually cost a lost of money to get and keep in service. That is where the firefighter suffers for it. Trying to do too much with too little and usually without the proper safety gear to protect the ones who protect.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:06 am
What an age we live in. It would seem from time to time that history has to repeat iself to get something fixed or corrected. One life lost is tragic enough in any situation regardless of how it happens.
As code officials, we CANNOT sit back and let these types of issues come up again even if it is in the name of “safety” from those in the school systems. How much could it cost to retrofit a sprinkler system in a school? It should be given a top priortity regardless of the cost.
Bars across the windows to keep someone from falling out is such a foolish notion and act that it bears no repeat. Keeping special needs children on the upper levels is also a really senseless act.
Chicago, it is time to get on the ball and take a stand against these stupid acts and demand corrective actions. After all, the next president comes from your home town!
November 10th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Good article Janet. I will share this with our young captains who are currently in training. I too have read the book and it is in our training library. We must all remember the lessons of history. My family grew up in Chicago and my mother still has difficulty to this day reliving that tragic memory.
November 13th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Janet, once again you are that powerful voice that sounds the clarion call for those of us in the fire service. You’ve provided a truly moving message about fire safety and prevention in our schools for this generation of firefighters and officers who do not know history. I recently taught a strategy and tactics class for twenty-four students from around the state of Georgia and when I brought up the Our Lady of Angels fire–as an example of outstanding initial company operations in the face of an overwhelming rescue problem–NONE of the students in the class knew anything about the fire or its impact on fire safety in schools in the U.S.
Keep beating the drum: we’re listening.
December 1st, 2008 at 2:34 am
As most folks who grew up in Chicago.I was told about the tragic fire when a small boutique opened in my neighborhood.The woman who owned it was scarred from this horrible fire.Then again in the late 90’s by a client of mine who was also a student there,along with her brother.I read the book To Sleep with the Angles & I must tell you my life changed forever as the result.As I understand those children were jumping for their lives out of the windows.There was no way out of those classrooms & they had no choice.Codes for sprinkler systems & random inspections of every school should be mandatory.I agree that bars on windows should be illegal.My heart goes out to each person who this tragedy has touched.Since reading about the details of that day I have often tried to imagine an entire neighborhood of little children gone in an instant. Impossible! Thank you, Michelle K. Jacobs
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