JHC were closed for Chicago’s Thanksgiving Parade. That day it was snowing, making it difficult for the fire department to arrive expeditiously. The JHC residences are not sprinklered, have hard-wired smoke detectors and hallway communication speakers (which did not function during this event). A team was again assembled, coordinated from Florida, and restoration efforts began. I immediately booked a flight to Chicago; arriving at 3:00 am.

Two months after the fire, 30 residences were still displaced, asbestos remediation in the burnt hallway was underway and the staff worked diligently on communication and restoration efforts.

Ten months after the fire, most of the common areas were fully restored and only a small number of units remained under construction. After the fire, I made a presentation to the residents regarding the fire, followed by a 200-hour, 15-page report explaining, in detail, the life safety/fire systems and the actions taken to re-train staff to handle emergencies and re-educate owners. Over Christmas, I made and hosted dinner in my home for some owners who were still in a hotel. Everything did not go as planned during this event, however the lessons learned have improved the approach to pro-active disaster planning.

I have managed many communities in various situations between hopelessness and jubilation. Handling extraordinarily difficult circumstances such as these requires time and patience. By building trust with the affected unit owners, calamities such as these can be successfully overcome. It may not be a party until something gets broken, but being prepared for calamities and disasters is a key part of being both a good party host and a good community manager.

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