About twenty years ago I got woken up in the night to sirens in the distance. I was staying at my brother’s house and realized he had stayed late that night to work at the flower shop. So I grabbed my keys and rushed toward the sirens. As I approached my worst fears were realized, the fire was in the strip mall of my families flower shop and I could not believe my eyes. It was engulfed, there were fire trucks everywhere, smoke filled the sky, and my mind raced. I parked and ran toward the first fireman I saw and through my sobbing and hyperventilating I told him I thought my brother was in there. He assured me he wasn’t because they had a done a thorough sweep. When I finally connected with brother I was so relieved that he was alive. It was one of the scariest days of my life, and to this day I still feel panic when there is a fire siren or fire alarm.

The arsonist, who had targeted the biker bar next door to our shop, committed the crime to retaliate against his cheating girlfriend. He was arrested and served time, but it continues to baffle me how others do not realize the impact that their actions have on others.

My family never reopened that flower shop in Rising Sun, Delaware and almost my entire family moved to Virginia to start over. It was heart breaking to see years and years of work be destroyed by the senseless act of a stranger. Though our portion of the building was still standing every item had smoke or water damage. Knowing that none of us were injured in the fire and feeling support of our friends and community was our saving grace getting through that time.

Now, even twenty years later, I am still impacted by that night. I always ask my employers for a five minute warning before a fire drill, and almost always they understand and agree. I also teach about fire safety to my students and try to give them the opportunity to see a fire truck up close, and to see a fire man go from his normal clothes to full gear. Children are often very frightened by firemen with their ventilator masks on, and so it’s essential for them to know not to hide from a firefighter coming into their home to save them. (more fire saftey teaching tips in a future post)

I share this story because I know many other educators also have similar stories of how a fire has impacted their lives, and though everyone got out safe there can still be traumatic aftershocks. What seems like a routine monthly drill can send a person into a panic. It is important to talk to your coworkers and employer so that they know that this is an issue, and hopefully they would agree that you deserve a five minute warning. Each of us has our own challenges, and it is okay to ask for support.