Today we remember a tragedy which touched the lives of so many in our community.
Ten years ago today Kathy was working as an Administrative Coordinator for the Littleton Fire Department and here is her first hand recollection of April 20, 1999 (only first names are used for all individuals involved):
We had just finished a really long Tuesday morning staff meeting. A representative from the American Red Cross had visited to tell us how they could assist Littleton Fire Department at emergency scenes. All I knew was that the meeting started at 9:00 a.m. and wasn't done until 11. Ugh!
I was standing at my desk chatting with Battalion Chief Ray. Then we heard a call on the radio: "Explosion at Wadsworth near Chatfield." I thought, April 20th, that's a strange time to set off fireworks. Station 11 (Engine and Rescue 11) is attached to the Fire Administration and City Hall in downtown Littleton. Station 11 and BC Ray left for the scene from City Hall and would have to travel along Bowles to respond to the call. Rescue 13 was responding from the fire academy on Santa Fe, where they had been attending "burn building" training, and would also have to travel west on Bowles. Finally, Engine 13 was responding from their station on Coal Mine.
What we didn't know at the time was how this explosion occured. It turns out that this was a diversionary device left by the suspects. An employee of the power company had found a duffle bag on the side of the road at Wadsworth near Chatfield and tossed it against a nearby fence. The bag, which was set to detonate, suddenly exploded. The public probably doesn't know or recall that the power company employee was almost the first Columbine victim.
What the suspects didn't realize was that their "diversion" put the battalion chief, Engine and Rescue 11 and Rescue 13 right at Bowles and Pierce when they started their rempage only one block away at Columbine High School.
At 11:21, I was still standing at my desk when the next call came in: "Shots fired, Columbine High School." I was really in a state of denial at this moment, because I thought "just a drive-by." Fire Marshal Jim was standing with us near the mailboxes and front desk at Fire Admin. He had a very concerned look on his face, and then I remembered his son went to Columbine. He said thankfully his son was at a soccer tournament out of the country.
The next call went out on the radio: "Explosion on the roof, Columbine High School." This is when, as they say, "all heck broke loose." The chief, division chiefs, and all uniformed personnel started responding. Another call: "Explosions in the cafeteria." I thought, "Oh my god; it's lunch time at the school."
This is when the hundreds of phone calls started flooding the office. And at this time a small handful of our firefighters and paramedics, dressed only in their gray uniform t-shirts, so as not to look like police officers, are running under active gunfire to scoop and run with a number of seriously wounded school kids. They saved many lives that day!
Over the next serveral hours, the radio calls kept filling the airwaves: "eight victims transported," "12 victims transported," "victims in the library." A co-worker's wife called to say that her nephew attends Columbine; he usually goes out to lunch. I replied "Oh that's good!" She then said, "But today they were going to study for a test in the library." I told her to "just pray." Her nephew was "The Boy in the Window."
The hours, days, and months ahead were filled with Columbine. When everyone went to work in the morning to set it aside for a while; we went to work to be immersed in it. The memories have faded, only to come back strong now and again, especially around the anniversary. It hit especially hard the two times I visited the Columbine Memorial. A place I wish you all could visit. However, there is an invisible wall you have to push through just to set foot inside.
Today, ten years later, we ask you to stop what you're doing, take a moment, and remember:
Cassie Bernall
Steven Curnow
Corey DePooter
Kelly Fleming
Matthew Kechter
Daniel Mauser
Daniel Rorhbough
Dave Sanders
Rachel Scott
Isaiah Shoels
John Tomlin
Lauren Townsend
Kyle Velasquez
As well as the injured, their families, and the heros from the responding agencies who will "Never Forget."
