In 1977, I met someone (born in 1960) who was told of three cousins (I don't know their names) who died in the OLA fire in '58. I was shocked by the connection to the sisters' stories in my grade school here in California about the importance of being MILITARY during fire drills because of "things that had happened in other schools only a few years ago." I'm a high school teacher now in Orange County, CA who feels that we are horribly negligent of fire regulations in our schools, both public and private.
Just this morning, after visiting OLA's website, I told my street-wise high school seniors of your story. You could have heard a pin drop in my room. Some "out-loud" thinking that I shared with them, I will now share with you.
OLA's shocking statistic page states that the fire burned for almost half an hour before anyone was aware that their building was on fire. Above and beyond the crime that there were not fire alarm pull-stations in that building, didn't anyone question why there was a stronger-than-usual smoke smell coming down the hallway? The reason I ask this is that I've taught my students to question the "everything's just fine" crap that adults falsely assure kids with. Were you (as all of us were until the reforms of Vatican II) assured that if anything were wrong, someone would let all of you know?
Another question I have is why no one covered their face and moved down the hall to the two stairways that were at the other end of the building. Did Sister shut down her thinking at the sight of the smoke/flames and the class blindly obey??? I ask this because I remember a day when EVERYONE blindly obeyed someone else; I remember a day when we thought we could avoid a nuclear attack buy doing a "duck and cover" under a wooden desk! These thoughts make me feel your anger and lack of resolution about a bunch of "what-ifs."
Did no one in the "new building" that had a couple fire alarm pull switches even think to pull one of those things? I ask this because I pulled one of ours two years ago at the smell of a SUFFOCATING gas smell to which no one responded! Even after the alarm sounded, people stood around wondering if it was a false alarm, etc. (The gas smell made EVERYONE'S eyes water.)
Your work is not finished; airport security is not the only place we are lacking attention. We still lack attention in the most common places. We are a society that fails to take things seriously. John Jajkosky (did I spell that correctly?) and so many others of you must continue to change priorities even today! You have made me take things seriously to protect my students. Thank you for your stories. Please continue to make that fire mean something by making the USA aware that, despite all our technology, we must be prepared and we must speak out against authority when something isn't (or doesn't seem) right. I firmly believe that if children had been taught to do that, there may have far fewer (or even no) fatalities in that fire in '58.
Please let me know if I am completely off-base or if I got some observations right. I continue to be moved by your stories and am still trying to understand WHY this whole thing happened.
Lou Podesta
Orange, California (also an obedient Catholic school graduate)
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