Seven people died in a tragic apartment in the Chicago suburb of Cicero Feb. 16. Four of the victims included 16-year-old twins, Elijah and Elisha Gist, Rayshawn Reed, 3 and Brian Reed, 3 days old. The owner and manager of the building were charged with seven counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated arson after lighting the apartment building ablaze in hopes of collecting insurance compensation.
Having heard this story, the fraternity Phi Kappa Theta (PKT), a service/social based fraternity with chapters nationwide, coordinated a fire awareness event with the cooperation of the Romeoville Fire Department at Lewis University Wednesday, March 10. The fraternity wished to educate youngsters involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program about fire safety.
PKT arranged for a fire truck (Engine 21) and two firefighters to discuss how to react to a fire situation on campus.
Approximately 50 children and their of mentors anxiously awaited the arrival of the fire truck. Once it arrived, the firefighters immediately connected with the children.
The BBBS program at Lewis is held in conjunction with Lewis Ministry and BBBS of Will and Grundy Counties, and meets once a week on the university campus. In this program, volunteer college students act as mentors to the children.
“When citizens think of the fire department, one tends to think about firefighters putting out fires. But the majority of the battle is fought with fire prevention and awareness. “That’s why we jumped at the idea of coming out to Lewis and educating the youngsters in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program,” said Brandon Street, the public education officer of the Romeoville fire department.
Steven Lee, Special Contributor
PDF 
