Monroe Township MI Firefighter Uses Burned Toys to Teach Fire Safety

The nauseating smell of smoke. The feeling of dark, gritty soot. The sight of orange-red flames flashing about the room. Those who've endured a fire say those memories never leave you. And sometimes neither does the memory of the one who saved you from it.

Nearly 20 years ago, William Vantress, then 7, received third-degree burns all over his body after his younger brother accidentally set fire to the family home in the Willow Green Mobile Home Community. William sustained the worst injuries of the family.

Now 26, he still remembered the face of Monroe Township Fire Inspector Calvin Schmitt when he brought his newborn to the Fireman's Building during the Monroe County Fair in August. Having known his daughter from school, William said Schmitt immediately looked familiar, and it didn't take long for the memories to start rushing back.

"We kind of just started hashing things out," William said. "And I asked, 'Do you still have my toys?"

He does.

Even 19 years later, Schmitt carries around William's charred firetruck, blackened double-headed action figure and even the melted barbecue lighter than was used to ignite the fire that haunting night. The belongings, along with dozens of other burned toys, are kept in what Schmitt calls "Firefighter Calvin's toy box."

Throughout October, which is nationally recognized as Fire Prevention Month, Schmitt uses those toys – and the story of the Vantress fire – to teach children not to play with fire.

"I'm very protective of my toys," Schmitt said. "Each one of these has a different story."

A devastating night

On Nov. 29, 2000, the Vantress family was getting ready for bed. The kids – William; Michael, 3; and Joseph, an infant – were supposed to be sleeping in their bedrooms.

John Vantress, the kids' father, was bringing home a late dinner for him and his wife, Theresa, who was home with the kids.

About 11 p.m., Michael ran to his mom to tell her that his room was on fire, the family recalled. He was already outside by the time Theresa made it wake William.

"When I went in there, he was completely on fire in his bed," Theresa said. "I panicked and tried to get him out of bed as fast as I could."

Once she got him in her arms, Theresa said she remembers throwing William into the snow and rolling him around to extinguish the flames. Shortly after, he was taken to a neighbor's house and put in the bathtub, while she went back into the flaming home for the baby.

"I don't remember a whole lot, but what I do remember is pretty vivid," William said. "I remember running down the street and looking back and the house was a ball of fire."

While all three children suffered smoke inhalation, William suffered the worst burn injuries from being covered in fire. He was transported to the former Mercy Memorial Hospital, where he spent a week recovering from a combination of second- and third- degree burns on his face, arms and legs.

Even still, William has faint, yet permanent, reds marks on his face and legs – which his family calls "battle wounds" – that remain from the fire.

"People wonder how I got those three boys out of there, but I had to," Theresa said. "I wasn't going to watch them die."

Firefighter Calvin

Almost a decade later, that story still gets told annually, as Schmitt, who investigated the fire, makes his rounds as a spokesperson for fire safety.

For years, Schmitt – thanks to a history of investigating children's fires – has headed Monroe Township's fire prevention program for kindergarten through third- graders at Custer and Waterloo elementary schools and the Monroe County Intermediate School District.

As a former Waterloo student, William's story especially resonates with the Wildcats.

"It makes a great tool to go out to the elementary school and show kids what happened," Schmitt said.

The focus of his student fire prevention programs, Schmitt said, is teaching children not to play with fire, such as lighters and matches. He uses the Vantress family as an example, explaining to kids what happened when 3-year-old Michael, who still feels guilty for his role in the fire, played with a barbecue lighter.

Part of the program, Schmitt explained, is keeping souvenirs from fires – with permission from the families – especially in cases where a child started the fire.

William's fire truck and action figure are top visual aids used during presentations, along with dozens of other toys, including a large children's kitchen set. From scorched drums to incinerated airplanes, some of Schmitt's toys are up to 30 years old.

"I tell them these toys used to belong to kids until they played with matches and lighters," Schmitt said. "These are the things kids care about. If there's a fire, their parents might not be able to replace them."

He also discusses consequences with the children, teaching them that intentionally starting fires will get them in trouble with police and possibly land them in the Monroe County Youth Center, the area's juvenile detention center.

"Even if only one family picks up their matches and lighters to prevent a fire, or makes an escape plan and practices their meeting place or tests their smoke detectors, these stories being told makes it worth it," Schmitt said.

William Vantress now lives with his son and girlfriend, Tarah Michaelis, in Monroe.

The John and Theresa Vantress family moved to Carleton.

The families continue to promote fire safety within their communities.