9-11 Issue Introduction
The worst terrorist attack. A total of 2,168 FDNY firefighters are working
each tour. Between 25 and 30 alarms of firefighters responded initially.
Thousands of firefighters from across the country working at the scene. Not
your typical fire story. When I began hearing these unbelievable stories, I
began interviewing firefighters who responded to, were working in the trade
center buildings, caught in the collapse not once but twice for many and
responded to search for missing members and civilians. The story of untold
heroism and bravery of firefighters searching the site turned into a life of
itself. Many of the firefighters I talked to did so because they agreed with
my idea to document what happened on 9/11. Still other firefighters said did
you talk with ... Or ...This is their story. Many died or were injured by a
matter of feet and inches. It was that close. We will never be the same.
This is their story... —Harvey Eisner
Terrorist Attack At New York City World Trade Center
Harvey Eisner introduces coverage of the deadly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 and the heroic work of America’s Bravest, featuring our first interviews with FDNY firefighters, officers and chiefs who responded to the site. Sept. 11, 2001 – or now known to many as just 9/11 – is a date which will be remembered long after most of us reading this are gone. The worst terrorist attack to strike the United States occurred when two hijacked commercial passenger jetliners crashed into the upper floors of New York City’s World Trade Center. The resultant fire and collapse of the twin 1,350-foot-tall towers decimated the 16-acre site. Numerous buildings in the complex or located nearby were destroyed or suffered catastrophic damage. -Harvey Eisner
The Two Towers: A Challenge To Two Professions
John P. Flynn outlines why the collapse of the World Trade Center towers represents a need for the fire service to re-examine its very philosophy of response, as well as being a call to action for the engineering profession. History is marked – in fact, defined – by events which shape the course of future events due to the very magnitude of their occurrence. The attack and subsequent collapse of the World Trade Center towers represents the single most heinous and starkly unreasonable single incident in the history of mankind. -John P. Flynn, PF
10 Days At Ground Zero
Curtis S.D. Massey describes the first 10 days of rescue and recovery work conducted by firefighters and other emergency workers at the World Trade Center site. The following story is dedicated to all the rescuers killed at the World Trade Center incident on Sept. 11, 2001. This tragedy portrayed the sheer evil hidden in man’s darker side and, in turn, the heroes who rise above it all. (Note: Because this article was written five months after the event, not every detail could be fully recalled or determined. There are also periods of time and activities that I simply don’t remember.)
DAY 1. Sept. 11, 2001 – a day etched in our minds and in our history. A day that undoubtedly has changed the way we view our lives and the freedom which we have taken for granted over so many years. A day which shattered our self-confidence and shook our sense of security to its very foundation. We’d never experienced a major attack on the U.S. mainland. Maybe because we are the mightiest country on earth, we felt we never would. We always felt that our daily routine would never be compromised. We had control over our lives and felt secure in that thought. It was normalcy. Until Sept. 11. Then, whether we have accepted it or not yet, our country, our lives and our sense of normalcy were changed forever. -Curtis S.D. Massey
"We Dedicate This Issue To These Brave Souls..."
Firehouse® Magazine pays tribute to the New York City firefighters who selflessly gave their lives on Sept. 11 and respectfully dedicates this issue to their memory.
HEROISM
Firehouse® Magazine Heroism & Community Service Awards
Firehouse® Magazine proudly salutes America’s Bravest in our annual Heroism & Community Service Awards program, the largest of its kind in the nation.
Columns
Fire Politics Fire-Rescue Service Has Washington’s Ear
By Hal Bruno
Safety & Survival An Open Letter To Tom Ridge, Homeland Security Director
By Vincent Dunn
Fire Studies Building Construction Factors
By James P. Smith
Chief Concerns Practical Planning For The Terrorist Event
By Michael J. Essex
(with “Tactical Medics: Is There A Need?”)
University Of Extrication Rear Design Features Of Vehicles – Part 3
By Ronald E. Moore Also See:Extrication Archives
Fire Law Law Protects Members Called To Military Duty
By Steve Blackistone
EMS EMS Lessons From The Street – Part 2
By Gary Ludwig Also See:Ludwig's EMS Archives
Departments
As Firehouse Sees It Capturing A Moment In Time
By Harvey Eisner Hot Off The Wire … Firehouse.Com Forum Fire Wire Calendar Also See:Firehouse.Com Events Calendar Rekindles
Compiled by Paul Hashagen Parting Shot Advertiser Index
Dedication
See special FDNY dedication on page 142. This month’s Firehouse® also is dedicated to Firefighter Kirk Schafer, 36, of the North Central Fire District in Kerman, CA, and Firefighter Lazaro Martinez, 70, of the Fisher’s Peak Fire Protection District in Trinidad, CO, who died in the line of duty, July 2001; and to Firefighter Ralph Blackmar, 66, of the South Foster, RI, Volunteer Fire Department, who died in the line of duty, August 2001. More:Firehouse.Com: In the Line of Duty
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