In order to emotionally survive their jobs, many firefighters and police officers have to develop a thick skin. But sometimes the human tragedies that they encounter touch a chord deep inside.
That was the case this week with the Lockport Fire Department. Not only did firefighters put out a fire Monday morning that gutted the home of a young couple with four small children, but now the department has established a trust fund for the family.
“Sometimes it just gets to you,” said Lockport Fire Chief George “Buzz” Beverly. “I guess it was just a culmination of a lot of things over the weekend. Recently we went to a lot of fire calls for Joliet, and we were the first ones in on that fire in Plainfield where a 9-year-old kid died. Then we had a carbon monoxide poisoning death.
“The next day you see this young couple standing out there where it’s below zero and they have no insurance and their house is destroyed. They have nothing and it forces you to do something. You think there’s got to be something I could do besides my job.”
Although no one was injured, the blaze destroyed the inside of the house that was being rented by Thomas and Marie Messina, both 27. Thomas is a cabinetmaker and Marie works as a hostess at the Public Landing restaurant.
“This was another Beavis and Butt-head fire,” said Beverly, referring to the incendiary MTV cartoon characters. Beverly attributed the fire’s origin to the couple’s 2 1/2-year-old son, Michael.
“The mother said the little boy had watched a Beavis and Butt-head fire episode with his dad,” said Beverly. “After the mother smelled the smoke, she saw the 2 1/2-year-old coming down the hall saying, `Box blow fire. Box blow fire.’ “
Beverly said Michael apparently used a disposable lighter to set a box on fire early Monday after his father had left for work and his mother was still sleeping.
Marie managed to escape with Michael and her 9-month-old daughter, Hailey. Marie’s other two children, a 9-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy, were staying with other relatives when the fire broke out.
The family is staying with Thomas’ mother, Carol Messina, who said she was thankful the family was safe, but the timing of the blaze was ironic because the couple had been talking about getting renters insurance just a couple of days before their home was destroyed.
Donations can be sent to the Thomas and Marie Messina Trust Fund c/o Bank of Lockport, 826 E. 9th St., Lockport, Ill. 60441.
