Fire victims' parents call for changes

CINCINNATI, Ohio (WDTN) - "My heart aches every single morning, noon and night.  A minute does not go by that I do not think of our son Chad," explains Anne Kohls.

Centerville mom Anne Kohls lost her son Chad and his friend Ellen Garner of Tipp City to a house fire near the university of Cincinnati campus on New Year's Day.

"Imagine for a moment, Ellen a guest of the house and Chad waking up in a panic to alarms going off and a room filling up with smoke," comments Ann Garner.

Both died from smoke inhalation after blankets caught fire next to an electric space heater on the second floor of the rental house, sending toxic smoke to the third floor where they were staying.

The only exits were a window with an air conditioning unit in it and a stairway to the second floor landing.

"So in his mind, his only way out, changed our lives forever.  He chose the door to a converted attic hallway filled with toxic smoke. That now, is my nightmare, that image, where I do not sleep at night anymore," says Garner.

Building officials say there were six people living in the home but a city ordinance allows only five unrelated people to live in a single family home unless the property is equipped with additional exits and fire safety equipment.

Now, they're urging changes to building and inspection codes in hopes of saving other lives.

"The only option my son Chad and his friend Ellen had on New Year's Day was to open the door to a stairwell filled with toxic smoke.  Immediately, he and his friend Ellen were knocked out and they lapsed into cardiac arrest,' explains Kohls.

Jon Heinrichs also lived in the house but was not there at the time of the fatal fire.

"Had I been there that night I wouldn't be here in front of you guys today.  I know lately I and other people have been asking 'what if'.  What if there had been a second escape? What if Chad and Ellen could've gotten out?  But, now is no longer  the time for us to ask 'what if'? It's the time for us to ask what now?" says Heinrichs.

Ellen's mom called for the annual inspection of rental properties, while Chad's mom requested that a certificate of inspection be placed on display at the entrance of any rental property.

They've also asked that any code changes be named in memory of Ellen and Chad.