Fire On Campus: Turning Pain Into Purpose

On January 19, 2000, Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, then 18-year-old freshman roommates at Seton Hall University, were severely burned when the residence hall they lived in caught fire. The blaze, one of the worst at a college campus in U.S. history, killed three students and injured nearly 60 others. Shawn and Alvaro now travel the country speaking to students and responders about their journey. Today on the podcast, we chat with them about the Seton Hall fire, their grueling recovery, and what parents, students, and first responders need to know as students return to campuses this month. This episode first aired in September 2022. LINKS: NFPA assets and information on campus fire safety and Campus Fire Safety Month The Center for Campus Fire Safety Learn more about Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos and see clips from the documentary, "After the Fire" If you have questions, feedback, suggestions, or just want to say hello, you can reach The NFPA Podcast at podcast@nfpa.org .

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Fire On Campus: Turning Pain Into Purpose is an episode from NFPA Journal Podcast by NFPA.

This episode is 53:47 long.

This episode was published on Sep 9, 2025.

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