On the sports front, they’re not on the same page, either. Llanos responded, saying, “What’s up.’’ Doctors had brought him out of the coma, but Simons didn’t know it. 'Second chance at life': Survivors still push fire safety 20 years after Seton Hall blaze Hannan Adely, NorthJersey.com Published 5:30 a.m. © 2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Hear the personal stories of two presenters, whose experience as students injured in the Seton Hall fire led them to become advocates for better fire prevention and safety methods and a more holistic approach to burn survivor recovery. "There are so many different topics we can discuss in high school. When he opened the exit door, from the corner of his eye, Llanos saw a fire ball. And to make sure their classmates are not forgotten. “It will be the crowning point of 20 years ago that I almost lost my life and now I’m here to help people as much as possible.’’. Alvaro Llanos, left, and Shawn Simons, two survivors of the deadly dormitory fire 20 years ago, stand near Seton Hall University's Remember Circle in front of the Boland Hall. I was there to cover his graduation, as more than 2,000 jubilant Seton Hall students celebrated at what was then the Continental Arena in East Rutherford. Don’t take anything for granted. 10/11/12 #1289 The presentation talks about the aftermath of both men surviving the Seton Hall University dormitory fire in 2000 where three students were killed from a drunken prank made by two fellow students. On that fateful day in 2000, they were young, exuberant, full of life and feeling invincible, not realizing that danger could be down the hall. Alvaro received burns to 56% of his body including third degree burns from his head to his torso. Simons, who now lives in Roselle, and Llanos, a Prospect Park resident, will be there again for the evening service on Sunday. This is where it all started.’’. Last Monday, the three of us walked together past the dormitory as they reflected on that tragic day 20 years ago. Simons suffered burns over 16% of his body, including third degree burns to his hands. In their time together, Llanos said she helped him to love himself again and to not worry about what people said about scars that he’d tried to hide wearing a hoodie. All rights reserved (About Us). Their son is a miracle, a confident man who no longer walks with his head down. I experienced this already.’’. Llanos was awake. Watch the trailer of the documentary below: Weekly Webinar-Unemployed? “Trying to get people to realize that sometimes the way that you came in is not the quickest and safest way for you to go out.’’. Unlike three of their classmates, who perished in … Sunrise Senior Living Rate Reduction for February! He met Paula Vasquez and they hit it off. They have never been in contact with the two students, but they do have questions. Among those advocates are Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, who were badly burned in the fire on Seton Hall's South Orange campus and who have dedicated their lives to … Follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL. It’s a lesson they learned in their escape from Boland. "In hindsight I am happy to be able to share our story with those individuals at 18 years old. At sunrise, Simons left his hotel room to have breakfast downstairs. In an interview last Monday, Shawn Simons, left, and Alvaro Llanos, reflect on their lives since the Seton Hall fire. Circus fire survivor Sheila Mark is pictured with her brother Dr. Alvin Berger, who also survived the fire, and today. Speaking alongside fire survivors Alvaro Llanos, Shawn Simons and Thomas Pugliese, Pascrell and Payne commemorated the lives lost and introduced their legislation, the Campus Fire Safety Education Act. It was necessary. Simons dozed off, awakened sometime after 4:30 a.m. by the fire alarm that didn’t concern him or Llanos. After his own therapy, Simons would visit and talk to him. NJ Weather: Winter Weather Advisory In 21 NJ Counties, Maplewood Issues Guidance For Day 2 Of Snowstorm; See Totals Here, Maplewood Weather Forecast For The Weekend Ahead, Maplewood Pets Who Need A Home: Amethyst, Adele, Luxie & More, NJ Storm Impacts: More Road Issues, Vaccine Delays In Snowstorm. When the boys were younger, Simons came up with a fun way to reinforce safety on trips if they stayed at a hotel. Several survivors of the fire attended the event at Seton Hall in support of the legislation. Learning to be comfortable in a newly burned skin," Simons said. Four years ago, Simons and Alvaro delivered a presentation at Cornell University and stayed overnight. “I think that there’s only one answer as to why it happened like this,’’ he says. Seton Hall University in South Orange feels like home to them, even though they almost died here 20 years ago in a dormitory fire that killed three other freshman classmates — Aaron Karol, Frank Caltabilota Jr. and John Giunta — and injured 58 others. When Simons and Thomas Pugliese, who had also been badly burned in the fire, walked on stage, they were honored with a standing ovation. “He’s told us so many times, I make sure to look at my surroundings,’’ Ariana said. With Menendez, introduce Campus Fire Safety Education Act. Their story was chronicled in a series in The Star-Ledger, titled “After the Fire,” written by Robin Gaby Fisher and photographed by Matt Rainey, who won the Pulitzer prize for feature photography. Tell us. Yet going back to the scene of it all is not hard for Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos. Seton Hall Fire Survivors Speak. BLOOMFIELD--The Bloomfield Fire Department was happy to present "After The Fire" to Bloomfield High School's senior class. “We wanted to show them that it can happen to you,’’ Simons tells me. In the chaos to save their lives, however, they got separated from one another as they sought to escape. Like Simons, Llanos is a dedicated father and attends church every Sunday. It always went off, they said. Together, they click, sharing what Simons said is the best story two roommates could ever have, because of what they’ve been through. He worked at The Star-Ledger for a few years with Simons before they decided their future should involve spreading their message of adversity, hope and perseverance to young people. But it was an awakening. Shawn Simons helps Alvaro LLanos during a rehabilitation exercise at St. Barnabas Medical Center in this photo from The Star-Ledger series "After the Fire" published in 2000.Matt Rainey | The Star-Ledger. Freshmen Aaron Karol of Green Brook, John Giunta of Vineland, and Frank Caltabilota Jr., … Students were going in and out of each other’s room celebrating. For three months, he was in a medical coma, with 56% of his body covered with second- and third-degree burns. May 8, 2017 - Seton Hall fire survivors, Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, talk about the impact this tragic event has had on their lives. Seton Hall University Fire Survivors to Speak at JSU on August 26. Simons and Llanos will also be the recipients of the 2016 Many Are One Seton Hall University Alumni Humanitarian Award. “The heat was so intense, I had to stop and gather myself,’’ Llanos says. Since 2010, they have traveled to high schools and colleges across the country teaching about fire safety and sharing their story of hope and perseverance. That fire was intentionally set. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. New Jersey, however, has the strictest dormitory safety laws in the country. Then, the President of RHA introduced Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons as two of the worst burn victims from the Seton Hall fire of 2000, a fire which killed three and injured fifty-eight others. She was 14 years old at the time of the fire. He spent two weeks in a medically induced coma, leaving the hospital after a little over a month. “We figured why not take the situation that we lived through, talk to students and say, hey, we were just like you,’’ says Simons. Have a tip? Simons stayed at Llanos’ bedside when he was still in the coma in the burn unit at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. Three students died and 58 were injured, several with very serious burns. Simons is the safety guy to his wife, Chinaire, and his sons, 14-year-old Jaylen, and Tamir, 17. Robin Gaby Fisher's telling in After the Fire, based on her Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporting for the Newark Star Ledger, is remarkable. Vaishali Gauba Sep 25, 2014, 3:55 AM. By ALEXIS TARRAZI (Patch Staff) Two New Jersey burn survivors showed Hillsborough seniors firsthand the importance of fire safety. He was dogged about his own recovery, doing things he probably shouldn’t have. For Llanos, faith also plays a big part in his life. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. A documentary followed, and Simons and Llanos show it during their presentations. “It scared the mess out of me,’’ said Simons, who remembers bursting into tears. Simons said the appliance began to overheat and smoke filled the room, setting off the fire alarm. Seton Hall University fire survivors Shawn Simmons and Alvaro Llanos came to West Orange High School on May 3, 2018 to share their emotional story with members of the senior class. “It hit my back, lit me on fire,’’ he remembers. "No matter what happens, if you think you have imperfections on the outside it's about what happens on the inside.". In moments, it turned fatal. “I think it was important for us to be back on campus,’’ says Simons. Simons is a Yankee, Jets and Knicks fan; Llanos reps the Giants, Mets and the Chicago Bulls. Shawn Simons, one of the survivors of the Seton Hall fire, will be ordained as a deacon on Sunday, the 20th anniversary of the fire. "The fire not only changed our lives and those who lost their lives, but also the guys who set the fire, they went to jail," Simons said. 20 years have passed since the Seton Hall dorm fire that killed three and injured 58. 20 years have passed since the Seton Hall dorm fire that killed three and injured 58. Their next local presentation will be at Cranford High School on Monday, June 6. To be able to educate students about fire safety awareness is great.". They live with a heightened sense of awareness. Simons and Llanos also talk about the consequences of the actions from the two men who set the fire. “That boy wouldn’t let nothing hold him back,’’ she said. The fire was started as part of a prank. ", Because of their work to spread fire awareness a documentary was made in 2011 called "After the Fire: A True Story of Heroes and Cowards.". They will receive the award at a Black-Tie Gala on June 10. A survivor of the Seton Hall University dormitory fire in January 2000 asked this in the course of his long and grueling recovery from horrendous burns. They opened their door, and then closed it quickly, seeing smoke had filled the hallway. Posted in: Fire Safety Updates. The timing of the ordination, on the 20th anniversary of the fire, is a spiritual sign for Simons. Find NJ.com on Facebook. So in the presentations they give around the country, they call out the names — Aaron Karol, Frank Caltabilota Jr., John Giunta — every single time. In the early morning hours of January 19, 2000, the lives of thousands or maybe even millions were changed as a result of a great tragedy. EVERYTHING reduced to $5...even 50pc surgical!! Afterward, the Seton Hall community will gather to light candles at the “Remember Circle,’’ in front of Boland Hall. "Sometimes you’ve got to let go and let God do what he is setting you up to do,'' Simons says. SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ-10) today visited Seton Hall University to mark the upcoming 20th anniversary of the fire at Boland Hall on January 19, 2000. Menu Expander Icon JSU News Submit News News Archives Need Help? The tragedy shook the community to its core and caused unbearable heartbreak, but it formed … Twenty years after the Boland Hall Fire, which took the lives of three Seton Hall freshmen, Aaron Karol, John Giunta and Frank Caltabilota, New Jersey’s state representatives continue to advocate f Simons went back to the room he shared with Llanos, who was watching a movie, Armageddon. Subscribe now. Director, Two Survivors Attend 'After the Fire' Documentary Screening at Seton Hall By CAITLIN CARROLL. The story was later expanded into a book Fisher authored, bearing the same title. Free Training Grant for Certifications, 5 Things to Know About Estate Planning Once You Turn Sixty-Five, NJ Virtual Camp Fair 2021 - FREE to Attend, FREE WEBINAR | Italy’s Great Monuments: Sparkling Ravenna Mosaics, Live Interactive Webinar Featuring Elder Law Topics. Survivors Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons promote fire safety on campuses across the U.S. Simons is the extrovert, life of the party, where Llanos is fine just being at the party. Three students died in the fire, and 58 were injured. Recently they have branched out to high schools. Llanos’ parents were his bedrock support, too. Immediately. Twice an hour, the school bell rings to remember those who died. Llanos and Shawn Simons were roommates when the fire broke out inside Boland Hall on Jan. 19, 2000. He grabbed his phone and called Llanos to make sure he heard the alarm, explaining the mishap with the toaster. Alvaro and Shawn stepped up on stage and I was instantly leaning forward in my chair. On January 19 th, 2000, the two young men suffered from a life-changing dormitory fire, that left them with 3 rd degree burns all over their bodies. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (each updated 1/1/21).