City To Honor Heroes From Littleton Apartment Fire

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - The City of Littleton will honor first responders, church groups and volunteer organizations for aiding residents after their apartment building caught fire in November.

Anne Heathman, 73, is one of the heroic community members being honored. She's also a resident displaced by the fire.

"The Littleton Police Department was out there rescuing victims in short sleeves putting their own lives in danger," Heathman remembered.

She can see her old apartment from the balcony of her new unit at Windermere Apartments. Heathman's unit was one of 10 considered a total loss. She lost everything but her life, and still asked how she could give.

"God didn't save me so I could sit on my butt and do nothing," said Anne.

Anne received help from the team at Love INC -- but she was their volunteer long before she was a victim.

"Kathryn Roy, the executive director of Love INC, called me shortly after the fire. She asked 'Anne we need to put a team together to walk beside our victims. Can you come and help?'" said Heathman, "The people that were in this fire were my dear friends. I didn't want them just to survive, I wanted them to survive well."

Love INC recruited Anne and 40 other volunteers to serve as "Navigators," guiding displaced seniors until they back were on their feet. They helped with everything from insurance claims to finding residents new homes.

"The Navigators all said they don't know how to manage insurance. Our response was 'Nobody does until you have to do it,'" said Roy.

Individuals from Arapahoe County, the Littleton Police Department, Love INC, Littleton United Methodist Church, Littleton Fire Rescue, South Metro Fire Rescue and the American Red Cross will be recognized at an upcoming city council meeting.