C Names: Firefighters Oral Histories

Cacciola, Grace Lieutenant Division 1
Captain Pineda [no transcript]
Lieutenant Scullion [no transcript]
Chief McFarland [no transcript]
Roger Moore [no transcript]

"We got out of the car, first thing we saw was a severed torso, like 10 feet in front of us. There was a cop guarding the torso."

"We went over to the command post and at the command post we saw Chief Gombo, Chief Kowalczyk, EMT Richie Zarrillo, Lieutenant Ross Terranova, Chief Ganci, Chief Sal Cassano, and all aides, chauffeurs and what have you from the fire side.

"I screamed, oh my God, and my sister thought I was dead because she heard the rumble and the white cloud as the building came down, collapsed into---again 2 Financial Plaza. We were chased with the white cloud."

"We started running and we had to stop at one point because now the whole area filled with black smoke and the Winter Garden Atrium collapsed in front of us, because we were going to go into the Winter Garden to cut outside, but we couldn't do it, because we had the collapse of the front of 2 Financial Plaza into us and then the atrium coming at us from the other side."

"Then there was a gun shot across the street and supposedly, this is just what we were hearing over the PD radio, somebody had shot out one of the windows and I think it was Manhattan Borough Community---is that what is directly across the street? I'm so bad. Another school across---directly across the street. They had shot out one of the windows to open the door, to put people into there. So when the kids heard the gun shot everybody started stampeding back towards us so we had to calm them down and get them to start going north again."

Captain Stone and EMT Gregg Brady, and I think at one point it was Commissioner Gribbon.

"While we were walking they were removing Chief Ganci's body. Lieutenant Scullion was there, and we stood with him as they were removing Chief Ganci's body. They had just put him on the bus and now they were going to go remove Commissioner Feehan's body. They wanted him on the same bus."

We walked with---the bus drove around the corner and we followed the bus around the corner. When we got around the corner they said it was going to take a few minutes because he was still stuck in the hole. So they were trying to get him out. Father Delendic was there. Chief McFarland and I believe Captain Pineda."



Cachia, Edward Firefighter Engine 53
Michael Catalano Engine 53 [no transcript]
Danny Schofield Engine 53 [no transcript]

"As my officer and I were looking at the south tower, it just gave. It actually gave at a lower floor, not the floor where the plane hit, because we originally had thought there was like an internal detonation explosives because it went in succession, boom, boom, boom, boom, and then the tower came down."

"At that point in time, we're looking up at the north tower. I remember my officer saying, "I have a feeling this one is going to come down too." Just as he said that, that tower came down it looked like at the point of impact. We actually witnessed both towers coming down visually. We happened to be looking at that particular time. With that, the tower came down."

Cachia, Peter EMT Battalion 4
bad back

Cahill, Joseph Paramedic EMG Operations
"I remember seeing Frank Larkin from the Secret Service run by at a dead run. That just stuck in my head."

Chief Villani [no transcript]
Mitch Berkowitz, off duty EMT [no transcript]
Tommy Carlstrom, EMT [no transcript]
Jimmy Schrang, EMT [no transcript]
Lieutenant Ed Platt [no transcript]
Harold Watkins, fire cadet [no transcript]
John Clair EMT [no transcript]
Joe Fell "from the State" [no transcript]
Lieutenant Eppinger EMT [no transcript]
Lieutenant Cronin, EMT [no transcript]
Al Suriel, EMT [no transcript]

Cahill, Michael Lieutenant EMS Division 6

Arnedegnato, L . O . D . I . Limited [no transcript]
Lieutenant Jerry Santiago [no transcript]
Jerry Doyle, a former Chief's aide [no transcript]
Captain Musto [no transcript]
Lieutenant Trainer [no transcript]

That's when the second collapse started to come down. All kinds of noise. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, very loud. Nobody knew what it was. Everybody stopped when we heard it."

"She was following two police officers and some ATF guys and some non-uniformed personnel, but I wasn't sure who they were."

"I lost my watch when the ATF guy blocker tackled me."

Cain, Michael Fire Marshall DFI SOC command

Callan, Joseph Assistant Chief Citywide Tour Commander
One of the very worst oral histories. Only 7 pages long and obviously made under duress.
Hayden's and Pfeifer's superior in the north tower lobby, Says he gave a command to evacuate the building 10 minutes before the south tower collapsed.

Camacho, Fernando Firefighter Ladder 22

"There were about maybe five or six civilians around us. We tried to get them out, as we tried to make our way out."

Campagna, Frank Firefighter Ladder 11
Mike Kehoe [no transcript]

"the chief's aide in the Safety Battalion, Michael Bosco, sat in on this interview."

"I looked back. You see three explosions and then the whole thing coming down."
Q. What floor did you reach when you were climbing up? You said you were like on the 20th
floor and then you decided to come down?
A. 28th or 30th floor, the 30th, around there, because we were going like every two floors. So it was around there. I remember seeing 28 on the wall, and then I think we went up again. I think it was around the 30th floor, we made it up there. From there that's when we went down.
Then a chief came down and pretty much said everybody evacuate, because nothing was
coming over the radios, as far as everybody was still waiting. We were waiting with a bunch of
guys at that point in time. I saw one of the guys I knew from the academy. He was in 4 Engine. Another one I knew from academy, he was from 10-10. They were up there with us also. I don't know if you got details from someone else, but I'm pretty sure he was from there.
Q. What floor did you say you were on when you think the south tower fell down?
A. I would say about the 17th.
Q. You didn't have a radio that day. Did you have a handy talky?
A. Me? No.
Q. You were with the officer when you were climbing?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you remember what was on the handy talky when the south tower fell down? Was there
a lot of screaming? Do you remember radio messages or anything like that?
A. No, nothing like that.
Q. There were a lot of guys in the lobby, you said, when you came down to the lobby and hooked up. You don't remember anybody specific, companies or personal people, individual people?
A. No, like I said, it was real tunnel vision. I just wasn't being pretty much aware of anything around, who was around me and whatnot. Like I said, 4 and 18 are the only ones that stuck out in my head."

Canham, James Sergeant Fire Patrol 3
Fire Patrol 3 Chief Raymond Cowa [no transcript]
Fire Patrol 3 Captain Keegan [no transcript]
Sergeant John Sheehan [no transcript]
Patrolman Keith Roma [no transcript]
Lieutenant Ed D'Atri from Squad 1 [no transcript]
Captain Greco, another member of the Fire Patrol [no transcript]

Self-dispatched
"I was off duty, I had no radio, I had nothing."
"I told the chief I was off duty and that I would be going in. He said, "Watch your back."

"I had seen a couple of what I had thought were body parts in front of the building. I didn't pay it much mind."

"I started searching the elevators, when a woman said there was another woman trapped in
an elevator. I had gone over to the elevator with my tool and began to pop the door open. The
elevator was cantilevered, so it was very hard. But there was an occupant inside."

"When I came back out to the hallway, I saw the sergeant once again, that police officer.
He looked at me and he said, "Are you aware of what's going on?" At this time I did not. I
didn't have a radio, and I just assumed it was one plane. He said, "This was a hit. They hit
the Pentagon. They hit the White House. And we have another inbound coming at us now."

Is on the 11th floor when the first collapse happens with about 20 civilians. Gets them to chain up.

"After I cleared those people out -- it had to account for maybe 30, 35 people by the time the last one had gone by me."

"There were some firemen that were yelling "Bail out." They gave a bail out, everybody bail out, and they were making their way out of the building, down the stairs. Some civilians were panicking when they heard that, because they saw firemen leaving and saying bail."

"Going back down to the lobby level. I got down to the lobby level. There had to be six to what I believe were maybe ten companies in a staged area. They were standing there. They
were talking with one another. Once again, a very relaxed mode."

"An off-duty member from 105 Truck grabbed me and dragged me to a diner. There were
other members from the Fire Patrol there. They cleaned me up. It was air-conditioned."

"Q: ...When you went into the lower level of One World Trade Center, the sprinkler heads were going off.
A: Right, they were heads off.
Q: There was no fire; there was no heat. Their heads were off from a pressure surge like
from the pressure created by the falling of building two or what do you think?
A: What I believe set those heads off iswhen those elevators had dropped --
Q: Why did the elevators drop?
A: They were sheered.
Q: They were sheered. We didn't cover that. People told me, yeah, I think the elevators dropped and the doors were blown out and all that.
A: Right.
Q: The elevators were sheered?
A: They were sheered.
Q: What did the elevator doors look like?
A: They were buckled, cantilevered. The one woman was -- how she was standing up, I
didn't know.
Q: She was standing up? She was alive?
A: She was standing up and alive, as I popped it with my tool. I had a converted
officers tool. I made my own little. It's very good as far as leverage and so on and so forth.
I got the door open maybe six to eight inches. That's when the guys from -- once again, I believe they were 10 Truck. He had put his officer's tool, my tool and the Halligan. We
had both Halligans. But the door was so warped that we really couldn't get the strength to pop it open. But when the guy pulled up with the Port-A-Power, he was very confident. He was like, "Don't worry. I've got her." It seemed almost like he had done this before, like he was here working. Once again, I had come off duty. So this maintenance man had enough muster to get that tool and begin to work on the doors right away. It just led me to believe that he had things under control. So myself and the lieutenant from whatever company that was were confident he could do it, and we had moved on.
Q: I wonder where he is now.
A: Exactly."

Carletti, Richard Firefighter Engine 5
Paul Mitchell. He just got made out of Ladder 110. [no transcript] dead?
Tom Manley, sergeant at arms of the union. [no transcript]
Firefighter Jim Andruzzi,
Firefighter Manny Delvalle,

"I was coming up Allen, which turns into First. When I was crossing Delancey Street, I saw a jet in front of me, which was the first jet. He was pretty low. He was probably about 30
stories. Now I'm heading north and crossing Delancey Street on Allen and I see the jet make a move toward the Trade Center. It made a southwesterly turn from that point."

"To our right, there was a parking lot right on West and Liberty. There were about seven cars on fire." [This is in advance of either tower's collapse.]

As we passed that, we came into the debris field. It was jet parts and body parts. I distinctly
remember seeing a woman's hand. It was cut off at the wrist. She had wedding ring, so it had to be a left hand, and then I looked to the left and I just saw the rib cage with nothing in it and there was just debris. At that point we stopped for a second and we heard impacts, which I guess was jumpers hitting the pavement." [From the South Tower]

"I was trying to monitor more what was going on in the north tower with the radio, and they
were on three different channels at this point."

"When the north tower collapsed, I remember seeing the antenna do a little rock back and forth and I could just hear the floors pancaking. I heard it for about 30 pancakes, just boom, boom, boom, boom, and the dust blew up to us."

"...we went back down at 11:00 p.m. with 3 Truck, with the rest of the battalion. We went to 10 and 10 command post. We went to about the middle of the pile, but we were just -- at this point we extinguished fires most of the night almost in the center of the complex and just west of what was left of building No. 4. We were on the pile just with three hand lines putting out fires until 9:00 o'clock in the morning.
Q: So that was during the nighttime, then, you were putting fires out on the pile?
A: Yes. And that was it."

"A: About 10:15, 10:20, I finally heard the Maydays for the north tower, to evacuate the north
tower."

Q. There's a south walkway, though, that goes across West Street.
A. When we got past there, that's when we entered the debris field and you heard shotgun blasts, and when I looked -- I don't know if Tommy looked, but I could see what was lying on the ground. It was just a pile of meat, red. So I said to Tommy, let's get out of here. There's too many humans coming down from the building."

"Q: Okay, Rich. Anything else of significance that you'd like to add to this interview that you feel it's important?
A: No. Just that when we walked down Liberty, I found that we were the only ones there and that was odd to me. There was no observation on that side of the building.
Q: Okay.
A: When I got to the command post, what was I going to say? I mean, I've got seven years on the job. I remember telling the Chief I think this building is in dire need, it's going to collapse. There was one point at the command post, I mean, I don't know about the battalion, but I felt I could have just walked away and no one would have known, but I didn't."


Carlock, Owen Firefighter Ladder 122, detailed on the day of the incident to Engine 220.
John Jermyn, a straggler, from the -- he used to be here in 122. He works in the Fire Department Museum. [no transcript]
Eddie Plunkett [no transcript]

"After that we tried to take a window in the back of the bank. We did take a window, but
behind it was a steel wall, corrugated tin or whatever. We couldn't get into the window.
They followed me. I had the light. They followed me, and we went into Deutsche Bank into the side entrance, got our wits about us,"

Carlsen, Craig Firefighter Ladder 8
"I proceeded into One World Trade Center into the front lobby. Just making it into the door, I ran into 3 Truck, members of 3 Truck, which told us that there were numerous people
trapped in elevator cars and that they needed forcible entry saws. So the lieutenant and I went out to look for forcible entry saws."

"I guess about three minutes later you just heard explosions coming from building two,
the south tower. It seemed like it took forever, but there were about ten explosions. At the time I didn't realize what it was. We realized later after talking and finding out that it was the
floors collapsing to where the plane had hit."


Carrasquillo, Pedro Chief Division 4
Jack Delaney with his medics from the New York Hospital, [no transcript]

"I parked a couple blocks before the World Trade Center just because I didn't want to go too much closer with my vehicle. I parked, got out. People were running. I got out, got my helmet, got my turnout coat. At that point, right there, there was some debris, and there were some body parts that were on the street."

"Then I decided to take a walk towards West Street just to see if in fact that tower, the whole tower, had come down, which confirmed, yes, that it was completely down." [th south tower]

Then I just worked as the liaison office with OEM,


Casaliggi, Joseph Firefighter Engine 7

Was with Chief Pfieffer on Church Street Near Canal 'operating a box' on an odor of gas in the area. He heard the first plane coming in and watched the plane crash into the north tower. He was outside when he saw the second plane hit the second building.

We were actually one of the first companies on the scene.

The lobby actually looked like the plane hit the lobby. From what I understand, I was told afterwards, that a fireball shot down the elevator shaft and blew out all the windows in the lobby and blew out the elevator doors.

I noticed there were several people sitting in the grass in front of the building burned head to toe, gray, just staring at us.

I stayed in the lobby. I didn't know at that point if he was getting me a partner or if he was getting -- I thought I was going to stay there, I wasn't going up. I didn't know what I was doing at that point. So I stayed around, waiting to be told what to do. I was in the lobby for about 40 minutes.

I saw another body crash down through the canopy.

As I was leaving the building, I heard them at the command post talking about moving the
command post to the other side of West Street. I suggested to the chauffeur we make our way back to the command post, let somebody know who we are and where we are and that we're okay.

They told me that they were looking for me and the chauffeur, that we were the only two from the company not accounted for.
Q: All the other guys got out?
A: Yeah, everybody from our company -- I don't know how. That's when I heard that Engine 7 got up to the 30th, 35th floor, somewhere in there, and they had gotten out just before the
building came down, before the north tower came down.

Casey, Gerard Firefighter Ladder 122, Firefighter Second Grade
Vinny Brunton [no transcript]
Koyles [no transcript]

We had spots in front of the rig where there were a lot of bodies and debris in front of us, body parts.

We couldn't go through the front of the north tower because there were too many bodies on the ground.

...proceeded to the overpass that is next to the Marriott, I believe, on West Street, and we had to go underneath the overpass to avoid debris falling from the south tower and bodies. People were jumping.

132, 105 and 101 I saw. When we were in the lobby, I saw them. We were standing fast in the Marriott lobby.

I believe 24 Truck was behind 131.

Q: From there where did you go? Did you go to EMS?
A: I came out. I came out of the crater. The street was gone, the restaurant and everything was gone. I saw Koyles and Vitiello. They were alive.


Casey, James Lieutenant Engine 91

WHILE THERE, IT WAS CALLED OVER THE COMMAND CENTER THAT THERE WAS A CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE, AN ENGINEER FROM TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER. HE SAID HE KNEW HOW WE COULD CONTROL THE VALVES TO INCREASE THE WATER PRESSURE IN THE BUILDING. SO WE WERE ORDERED TO GO OVER THERE. HOWEVER, WE DID NOT HAVE FORCIBLE ENTRY TOOLS. I SENT MY CHAUFFEUR BACK TO THE RIG TO OBTAIN THE FORCIBLE ENTRY TOOLS AND WHILE WAITING, TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER COLLAPSED.

Q: MAYDAYS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT
A: I'M TRYING TO THINK. I KNOW THERE WERE MAYDAYS ALL OVER THE PLACE THAT DAY. I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE.
Q: NO PARTICULAR COMPANY OR ANYTHING STICKS OUT IN YOUR MIND?
A: NO THERE WERE MAYDAYS THAT WERE COMING ALL OVER ALL THE TIME. BETWEEN THAT AND THE JUMPERS THAT WAS BASICALLY IT.

Casey, William Firefighter Engine 21
This asshole helps some guy down from the upper floors and then losses him on West Street when the second building comes down. Uses his face piece for oxygen for himself but forgets about the other guy. Assclown.

We walked into Tower 1, the north tower, and hung out in the lobby waiting for instructions on what to do. At that point, it was a lot of chaos. You were hearing jumpers. You were hearing different things going on. You saw different companies. We weren't told what to do really. So then we got our instructions, and we followed the captain by an elevator, one of the
elevator banks. Somebody told us there was somebody trapped in the elevator, so we opened up the doors. We had the rabbit tools, so we just pried it open a little bit, and then we pulled it open ourselves, and there was a lady in there, and we got her out.

We then went to another embankment, because we were with -- I believe the company -- I believe it was 13 truck. I'm not really sure at that time. We were going to go up the stairs, but we ended up -- there is an elevator would go up to the 24th Floor, which is what we took.

Cars were blowing up. I guess stuff hit it, and they started -- you know, it was pretty weird.

We thought maybe our captain was out. We found out he was the only one, of course, that didn't get out

Cassano, Salvatore Chief Command Center
Mike Canty, Battalion Chief [no transcript]
Donald Burns [no transcript]
Captain Walter Hynes, 13 Truck [no transcript]
Captain Dave Wooley, who is usually with engine 54 [no transcript]

when on the Department radio, there was a message blurted out that - something to the effect that the outside of the World Trade Center was on fire.

But inside the lobby of the Millennium [sic] it was very quiet. Very few civilians. In fact, I didn't see a civilian. All I saw were building employees. They were very calm. So I went into the lobby of the hotel. We saw 13 truck with Captain Walter Hynes, who I knew, and Captain Dave Wooley, who is usually with engine 54. I saw 11 truck in the lobby. Actually they were up on the mezzanine.

We got to get them out of there and that's when tower one came down, so I was on West
Street. I looked up. There was a jet plane. It sounded - I mean it sounded like another plane coming over and I said holy god, I hope it's one of ours. I looked up. It wasn't ours. There was a building coming down.

Q: Other than the ladder companies or engine companies you already delineated inside of the Millennium Hotel, other than the workers, how many civilians did you see in that restaurant?
A: I would say probably six or seven civilians in the restaurant.

Q: On Vesey Street when you first arrived there, what was the scene like? That was where the first plane that hit. Was there any debris on that street?
A: No, there was no debris on that street at all from the first plane. I drove right up there and then like I said, I had just opened my door and the second -- I thought it was the secondary explosion. I didn't know it was another plane in the south tower, because when I heard it, I looked up and I saw debris.

Q. You mentioned jumpers before. Did you see them?
A. Yes.
Q. Both towers?
A. I didn't see jumpers from the south tower. I saw jumpers from the north tower and it sounded like concrete falling, hitting the pavement. That's what I was concerned with, those people in the restaurant, to get them out and getting hit with either the jumpers or something falling, windows. I was worried about glass.
Q. You mentioned Father Judge. Where did you last see him?
A. I saw Father Judge as I was walking to the Millennium. He was on West Street. And I saw him come out and I walked up to him, gave him a smile. I told him Father Judge, we are going to need a lot of help here. You better get some more chaplains. He smiled and said something. I forget what he said. I don't remember what he said. That was the last time I saw
him.


Cassidy, Tiernach Firefighter ENGINE 3 FIREFIGHTER THIRD GRADE
Mickey Cross [no transcript]

I WAS RIGHT OVER AT 20 TRUCK AND SQUAD 18'S QUARTERS ON LAFAYETTE BETWEEN SPRING AND PRINCE.

STILL I WAS IN SHOCK. I WAS STANDING THERE, STANDING ON THE ROOF, NOT WATCHING THE TV, STANDING ON THE ROOF WATCHING. WE DON'T ACTUALLY SEE THE SECOND PLANE HIT, BUT WE SEE THE IMPACT. WE WERE ON, OF COURSE, THE NORTH SIDE, SO WE SAW THE HUGE EXPLOSION ENGULF THE WHOLE TOP OF THAT BUILDING.

MYSELF AND TEN OTHER MEMBERS THAT WERE THERE ON LIGHT DUTY WE ALL JUMPED ON TOP OF 47 TRUCK AND WE HEADED DOWN BROADWAY.

SO WE GOT DOWN TO CHURCH AND LIBERTY AND HE ASKED ME WHICH WAY SHOULD WE GO AND I DIDN'T KNOW. WE COULDNT WALK THROUGH 10 AND 10,
THE STREET WAS AT LEAST THREE STORIES HIGH OF DEBRIS COVERING 10 AND 10.

HE SAID HE FOUND HIM IT WAS THE GUYS FROM 36 THAT PORT AUTHORITY COP THREE CIVILIANS AND FRIEND OF MINE MICKEY CROSS.

A: SO THE PORT AUTHORITY COP COMES OUT FIRST. THERE WAS CHIEF, THERE TWO CHIEFS. I THINK . I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER.
Q: THESE GUYS WERE DOWN IN THE HOLE? WHERE WERE THESE GUYS? ALL THESE GUYS?
A: THE FOURTH FLOOR OF THE NORTH TOWER WHEN IT CAME DOWN.

I MEAN, I THOUGHT THAT DAY WE WERE GOING TO FIND HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WALKING OUT, YOU KNOW. WE'D JUST TAKE THEM OUT.
BUT THOSE 10 OR 11 WE FOUND RIGHT THERE THAT WAS IT FOR THAT DAY.

AT THIS POINT NOW THE OFFICER I WAS WITH WAS GIVING CALLS FOR THE STOKES BASKET BECAUSE THE CIVILIANS THAT WERE DOWN THERE WERE NOT WALKING OUT.

MICKEY WAS THE THIRD GUY TO COME OUT

THEN THE GUYS FROM 36 CAME OUT NEXT 36 TRUCK. THEN WE STARTED RUNNING CIVILIANS OUT

THEN LIKE I SAID BUILDING SEVEN WAS IN EMINENT COLLAPSE THEY BLEW THE HORNS THEY SAID EVERYONE CLEAR THE AREA UNTIL WE GOT THAT LAST CIVILIAN OUT WE TRIED TO GIVE ANOTHER QUICK SEARCH WHILE WE COULD BUT THEN THEY WOULDN'T LET US STAY ANYMORE.

SO YEAH THEN WE JUST STAYED ON VESEY UNTIL BUILDING SEVEN CAME DOWN THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO THE FLAMES WERE COMING OUT OF EVERY WINDOW OF THAT BUILDING FROM THE EXPLOSION OF THE SOUTH TOWER, SO THEN BUILDING SEVEN DOWN WHEN THAT STARTED COMING DOWN YOU HEARD THAT PANCAKING SOUND AGAIN.


Castellano, Pete Firefighter Ladder 149
Tommy McGoff, Lieutenant [no transcript]
Vinnie Marsala (18 engine and rescue 3?) [no transcript]

Another chief asked us to search financial center Building 1, see if anybody was in the building. We started making a search of that building. We were ordered out of that building. We got -- like collapsed. We were ordered out of that building.

"...and we started working on a guy that was trapped on top of an elevator shaft, and I wound up working my way down to the elevator shaft."

Q. The lieutenant you said you saw, what unit was he from? Come up Broadway dazed?
A. Oh, like I seen Tommy McGoff, Lieutenant McGoff.
Q. From?
A. Downtown Brooklyn company. I found out later he was there when the first fireman was killed by a jumper, and he went to help the fireman, and half his company went into the tower, and they were lost, and he couldn't find them. That's why he was in the state he was in, but that was -- I heard that story later.


Ceriello, John Firefighter Ladder 20
Lieutenant Kerwin of 288 [no transcript]
Lieutenant Dowdell, Rescue 4 [no transcript]
Tony Castagna Hazmat 1 [no transcript]
Phil Latimer, proby originally in 35 Truck, now is in hazmat [no transcript]
Joey Hunter, from 288 and Rescue 4 [no transcript]
Ronnie Gies, from 288 and Rescue 4 [no transcript]
Bronco Pearsall, from 288 and Rescue 4 [no transcript]
John Ielpi, from 288 and Rescue 4 [no transcript]

So thinking that it was just prior to 9:00 there would be a ton of traffic, I jumped on my bicycle. I live in Carroll Gardens. I rode over the Brooklyn Bridge. When I was roughly in
the middle of the span, there was a massive explosion on the south tower. Again I didn't see a plane or anything, so I didn't know it was a plane that hit the tower. I think in my mind I just thought there was a massive explosion on one of the upper floors and now you had a real bad fire.

The south tower was down. You really couldn't tell it was completely down, but you could tell
most of it wasn't there.

At that point we took off climbing over debris and whatnot on West Street. We passed a
black woman with a broken leg with a firefighter on the sidewalk. We told them to stay put, that someone would come get them.

When we were in the American Express building, we did see some people jumping and
whatnot. We knew we had a bad scene on our hands.

I basically operated on West and Liberty until about 1:00 in the morning. I never really went much up Liberty, and I never really went much north on West Street. I stayed in that quadrant right by what was the Marriott Hotel, making entrances and then running out because the buildings were collapsing and going back in, all that stuff.


Charles, Jason EMT Battalion 13
Firefighter Anderson, an IC for the fire cadets [no transcript]
Naomi [last name] EMT out of Battalion 16 [no transcript]
Jerry Toyloy, of Battalion 13 [no transcript]
Salguera, EMT from 16 [no transcript]

AND NOW I'M PASSING THE POLICE ACADEMY WHICH I THINK IS ON 21ST
STREET, 21ST STREET BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD, AND I SEE A COP STANDING WITH THE BARRICADES, NEXT TO THE BARRICADE, AND HES LOOKING LIKE HE WANTS TO GO

NOW WE'RE IN CHINA TOWN AS I RIDE BEHIND THEM, I GUESS THEY WERE LIKE SPECIAL FORCES FROM THE COURTS OR THE FBI BUILDING IN THAT AREA, FEDERAL COPS OR WHATEVER, JUMPED IN FRONT OF ME AND I YELLED AT HIM EMS EMS AND HE JUMPED OUT OF MY WAY AND KEPT I RIDING

I SAW ONE PERSON FALL OUT THE BUILDING

I SEE DETECTIVES AND FBI AGENTS RUNNING AROUND THE STREET LIKE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

I RAN BACK OVER TO FULTON AND CHURCH AND THE PA COP WAS STILL STANDING
THERE AND HE RUNS OVER TO ME AND I TELL HIM, YOU KNOW, STAY THE FUCK OVER THERE, AND HE'S LIKE, ALL RIGHT, THE FBI IS GOING TO STOP ME. SO AS I'M WALKING BY HIM THE FBI COPS LOOKED, THE FBI AGENTS, SORRY THEY'RE LOOKING AT ME, AND THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST LOOKED AT ME AND JUST LET ME GO THROUGH.

I SAW THE---IT LOOKED LIKE THE TOP MAYBE 70, 60 FLOORS COMING OFF THE BUILDING.

---THAT HORRIBLE TWISTING METAL SOUND OF A FREIGHT TRAIN OR WHATEVER---

MIND YOU BEFORE THAT, WHICH I FOUND A LITTLE WEIRD, BEFORE THE TOWERS FELL THERE WERE LOT OF PEOPLE FALLING OUT OF THE BUILDING, LIKE, YOU KNO
I DON'T KNOW. LIKE THEY WERE JUST THROWING THEMSELVES OUT, LIKE, THEY WERE JUST LINED UP AND GOING LIKE PARATROOPERS, AND AT ONE POINT RIGHT BEFORE THE TOWERS CAME DOWN THAT STOPPED. IT WAS LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT
WERE COMING OUT JUST STOPPED COMING OUT THE WINDOW FOR WHATEVER REASON. I FOUND THAT A LITTLE WEIRD/

AND THERE WAS THIS FEMALE FROM ENGLAND WHO WAS ON THE 90TH FLOOR OF TOWER 1 WHO TOLD ME SHE HAD JUST BARELY MADE IT OUT OF THERE WHEN THE TOWERS CAME DOWN SHE LOST BOTH HER SHOES

WE START WALKING BACK THERE AND THEN I HEARD A GROUND LEVEL EXPLOSION AND I'M LIKE HOLY SHIT AND THEN YOU HEARD THAT TWISTING METAL WRECKAGE AGAIN

I RAN OVER TO A HARDWARE SHOP THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD BROKEN INTO TO USE A LOT OF THE MASKS THAT THEY HAD IN THERE

THE TRIAGE CENTER WE WERE IN HAD TO BE EVACUATED BECAUSE THEY WERE PRETTY SURE THAT BUILDING WAS GOING TO COME DOWN INTO IT

AT THAT POINT THERE WAS JUST NOTHING BUT COPS. I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE WERE COURT OFFICERS OVER THERE IT DIDN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE THAT THE COURT OFFICERS WERE THERE. THIS IS MY OPINION BUT THEY WERE THERE LIKE JUST MILLING AROUND

Chelsen, Roy Firefighter Engine 28, firefighter first grade

We reported to the command desk, the command post there, and we immediately started
going up. They just said, "28, start heading up."

I believe 4 Engine was with us, there was 28, and I believe 8 Truck was with us.
I know we were paired up with 4 Engine. 5 Engine was with us.

We got out and we got under the bridge. A couple bodies came down, flying down, just in
front of our guys. We just got under the bridge and like, okay, it's safe, it's good. All of a sudden we heard this huge explosion, and that's when the tower started coming down. We all
started running.


Cherrington, Andre Paramedic Battalion 31

So as I was pulling off, I’d say about half a block away, we heard a big boom, and we seen a whole bunch of ashes, everything just started coming towards us.

So another lieutenant came there and said well, they might need some paramedics at Ground Zero. They were saying something about there were amputated patients there who, once they
get them out of the rubble, they’re gonna need us to start lines, whatever and get them to the nearest hospital. So we went back to Ground Zero.

I mean, I did what I had to do, I took one patient, we took care of it and got him to the hospital. And you know, I did say, well I saved one person. I know I did save one person, and that’s all that matters. I was there for X Amount of hours and I did one good thing. And my partner too.


Chesney, William Firefighter Engine Company 309

we were notified by the dispatcher to I believe the Deutsche Bank, which had I believe been set afire or there was a collapse there. I'm not sure what the assignment was. I'm fuzzy on that.

We were assigned to put a fire out on the eighth or ninth floor of Gateway at the time. We went up there with hoses.

[Fuzzy indeed.]

Chiafari, Joseph Lieutenant Safety Command
firefighter Bob Crawford from the Safety Battalion [no transcript] dead
Lieutenant Tom McGoff, Engine 217,

I heard Chief of Department Ganci from his office yell out oh, shit, a plane just hit the Trade Center.

I was driving Chief Turi that day when we left the building and we headed over the Brooklyn Bridge.

We locked up the car, started heading across Church Street when we heard a roar of a jet engine, as if it was taking off in flight and we couldn't help but look into the sky to see exactly what it was and yes, it was a plane, just prior to striking the building and the engines were revved up fully. From that you saw it actually piercing the wall of the building with a large amount of fire coming from it.

...you could see the aftermath of what was in the street, along with some airplane parts, which were definitely very visible and identifiable what they were.

We kept, of course, looking up to see if anybody was possibly jumping down. Again, we didn't
see any jumpers at that point, but being aware of possibly people coming down. We came across some, again, some airplane parts that were actually smoking and it was very real to us what had happened. Still not believing what had happened, of course.

We were walking up the walkway to the front of tower one. We were met by a couple of firemen that said watch out, people are jumping, advised us that people were coming down the front of the building in the front of the building, and it was evident that at that point you could see body remains, not fully intact of course, they looked like hunks of meat, just laying
on the walkway and roadway itself.

There in the lobby command post there was Chief Hayden, who was in the Division that day and later we had Chief Cruthers there, along with the Fire Commissioner, Von Essen, Tom Fitzpatrick, Donald Burns was there.

When Chief Turi and I went into the building [lobby of one]

While we were in there, a pretty big concern was the condition of the elevator cars, whether they were operating or not, and that if the cables would fail, if they come crashing down into the lobby area and then blow out into the lobby where most people were congregating. They wanted to get everybody out of the lobby areas themselves.

I didn't know what it was at first. I thought it was guys venting from above, but it wound up
being the breaking of glass taking place and you didn't know what it was and it wound up being the glass canopy out in the front of the building there. There were actually people that were plunging through the glass as you actually were standing there hearing that taking
place.

Visibly from where we were standing, I estimate that I probably saw about a hundred people
jumping to their death. Some looked like they were in pairs, but most of them were singly, free falling, to such a degree that they were doing tumblesalts in the air and forcibly landing to the ground, or very impactly landing on top of that glass canopy, which seemed to be like almost like individual skylights that were -- they were breaking through. Very noticeably you could hear them like pounding, almost like a bomb going off, a small bomb, like paum, paum. And so there was a lot of glass breaking...

There was talk about not knowing the stability of the building. I heard that being mentioned and not knowing where that report came from. It's like somebody was questioning the stability of the building. In fact, that was coming from Steve Mosiello, the executive assistant for Ganci. I think somebody asked him and he mentioned to Ganci. Somebody mentioned about the stability of the building. That happened to be shortly before the building did come
down.

There was a time where he did -- actually standing there, you heard actually what sounded like another plane flying overhead. I remember even asking one of the guys from Con Ed that was happening to stand there. I didn't know if they were blowing off any steam from the building or blowing off any residual gas or anything, but it sounded like the roar of a plane, and most likely we learned that that was like military jets that may have been flying overhead to monitor what was going on in the harbor area. But that was very noticeable and you couldn't help but look up again to see what was going on.

I remember even seeing -- oh, here is another person I saw at the command post who
later did not survive, a guy I previously worked with, Ray York, who, from my understanding, he came from the fire zone over in mid Manhattan. I think he was on light duty. He saw me. I saw him. It was almost like a wave type of thing. I'm saying in my mind, what is he doing
here. I know he's not with a fire company, but I saw him there and then later on realizing that he didn't make it. It's amazing how you see a face and knowing their whereabouts afterwards, that they weren't there.
Q. You saw him at the command post?
A. At the command post on the West Street side.
Q. Not at tower one?
A. No.
Q. On West Street?
A. Yes

Chillemi, Salvatore Firefighter Engine 260

Weird little four-page transcript, interviewed by Chief Burns, of all people. Very difficult to get the pdf to open. Had to go to archive.org, and even then still had trouble. Of no account. Arrived between one and two's collapse--so what?

Chyriwski, Robert Firefighter Engine Company 3
Firefighter Adam Mazy [no transcript]

Was on the stairs in the north tower

So I tried further down West Street, which I'm probably right around across from the hotel, the Marriott, when I hear this loud noise, this crash. That's when the second plane hit Tower 2. So I managed to turn around and head back up north towards 1 World Trade, not knowing what had happened, that it was a plane that hit.

Another one of my members was detailed to 26 Engine. He was like an extra man. He jumped on a rig and he didn't have a mask. So he came up to me and I gave him my chauffeur's mask so he can go operate, and he ended up hooking with 12 Truck because he missed 26 Engine going in. His name was Adam Mazy.

by 3 World Financial Center, That was when 2 World Trade started to come down. People were just saying run, run. So I just took off. I started running north and then I head west
down Vesey Street, and I guess I ran down until I got to North End. There was another block and I started running north again, and luckily I was able to beat out the whole dust cloud. I didn't get enveloped in it.


Cifu, Ronald Firefighter Engine Company 16

That's when the first person jumped. I was on West Street. I backed up a little bit.
Then another person jumped. There had to be at least 15 people that just jumped in the amount of like ten minutes. The time was around 9:15, 9:20 at that point.

When I first got there, there were a lot of maydays and urgent messages. One of the messages I heard was we lost an elevator, and then there was a second message that we lost another elevator.

I got back up on my feet and went back to my rig. I pulled my rig a little closer. I hooked up.
We were trying to keep some of the dust down. We had a couple of the stangs going to try to keep some of the dust down. I wasn't really sure if there was a collapse. I thought it might have been a partial collapse, maybe just the top floors.


Cimillo, William Firefighter Ladder Company 49

We were walking down there. They're like, "You're going into tower two. Get up as
far as you can and help out." We're walking down the block. We get to about -- less than half a block away from tower two, and I just remember looking up and the top of the building just
teetered and I saw the radio tower wobble and the whole building just came down on top of everybody that was there.


Cira, David EMT Division 4
paramedic Adam Schriebman [no transcript]


Cirillo, Brian EMT Battalion 4
THE CHIEF WHO HAPPENED TO BE THERE WITH ME SAID TAKE THEM UPTOWN TO THE FURTHEST HOSPITAL CAUSE WHAT WAS AROUND WAS BASICALLY
JAM PACKED

Citarella, John Firefighter Lieutenant FDNY, of hazmat operations,
Survived the first collapse inside the lobby of the Marriott with all these people, who didn't make it out
Lieutenant Steve Turilli, from the rescue school,
Freddie Scheffold, Rescue 3, "Freddie wasn't even working that day."
Joe Marchbanks, Rescue 3
Larry Stack
Brian Meyers
Kerwin from 288

As we were walking down West Street, there were numerous people jumping out of the top
floors, the upper floors. They were landing right next to us. I remember them hitting my leg as they were landing, parts hitting the divider on West Street.

When we were walking down Liberty Street, there was I think a guy from 217. He was an officer. I think he was from 217. He was screaming at us. We came over, "What's going on?" He told us that a fireman just got killed, got hit by a body in that spot that we were walking.

Right as he said that, I heard a loud roar, "boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom," and
it was getting louder.

We walked about maybe 10 feet to 15 feet up West Street. We ran into Joe Angelini. Joe said he was going to go back. He was going to try to go into the hotel because he thought there were more people in there.

Joe Angelini and I were out in West Street, and he starts walking towards the hotel. We tried to tell him, "Joe, they want everyone out of here. They think the other one is going to come down." He started walking over.

I turned, I took maybe a couple more steps, and then I heard another explosion, it sounded like. I looked up, and the north tower was starting to come down.

But that was pretty much all the guys that I saw in the street. I know Joe Angelini they found in the street and Ganci and Feehan they found in the street.


Claes, Marcel Firefighter Engine 24
Paul Keating, [no transcript]

when we got in there, we saw a lot of damage in the lobby around the elevator banks, and we found -- I found out that it was hit by a plane, thinking it was an accident.

So we proceeded up with other engine companies and truck companies in Stairwell A. After a dozen floors or so, we started to take breaks every four floors. We didn't realize it was hit by -- we didn't realize 2 World Trade was hit by an air plane, so we kept going up. It was single file, civilians going down and firemen going up. The civilians were orderly and blessing us and helping the injured down.

We made it up to the -- I believe the 35th story.

we were going to hook up with another engine company to make it up there -- easier to get up there. We were going to have some guys just take cylinders and the other guys take hoses,

we got separated because I found out later that one of our -- Richard Billy was on the 27th
story in the hallway with a woman in, I believe, a wheelchair, and the rest of the company went in to get him.

I saw building employees running around. There was a lot of debris in the lobby. I went out the same way I came in. That was on the northwest corner of tower -- 1 World Trade.
Q. On the map on there?
A. I went out a window that was taken out, because I knew my engine was parked on that side. I made it out to the -- I saw a man in the courtyard. He was waving me out, like come on out, get out of there. I didn't look up. I just went out to the street.

At one point, a rescue company came by, and they walked in to the -- you know, this is after the collapses. I they walked in. I guess they did their thing. I guess they were -- actually I don't know what they were doing. They must have got off. You know, they were off that day and went back to the company to gear up and made it there on their own.

All morning I was watching 7 World Trade burn, which we couldn't do anything about because it was so much chaos looking for missing members.

I walked to the firehouse, and I made it to Canal Street, and I saw another fireman, a messenger I believe he was, and he drove me to the firehouse, and I took a shower and talked to the guys for awhile,

I believe they took it to the Sanitation Department, and they power washed it, and we got it
back here. We had to hose the inside out, and we stocked it with whatever we had in the tool shed, and we went back in service around six o'clock that night. We didn't have many runs, but I think that was the only operating engine covering lower Manhattan, except for the one that was operating within the collapse zone, the ground zero.

We did go back Thursday night. Was it Thursday? I think yeah, we did go back. It was our turn to good back to ground zero, and all I did was fill buckets with dust and debris. It rained that night, so we went back to the -- after a number of hours, we went back to the firehouse.

So Saturday I came back to the firehouse, and I was due to work at my light-duty position at Rac 5 Sunday morning. I went home -- when I got home Monday morning, we started with wakes and funerals all that week, because they did recover guys from Ladder 5, so we were off.

Basically, I didn't come back to the firehouse until the following week. The following week
after Greg Sausito's memorial Mass, and then we were on -- when I was scheduled to come back to work. They went back to the regular schedule.


Clarke, Charles Captain Engine 211

By this time, it had to be 11:00 o'clock at night...Then we came back down and started walking down Church, and I was kind of amazed that one building was burning on 90 West, I noticed, but I was amazed that all the tenements on Cortlandt and Dey, Fulton, none of them were on fire. I figured there would be a lot of fire and there was none.

Cohen, Marc Paramedic Battalion 22, SHIELD 2093 EMS COMMAND

WE WERE ON THE 59TH STREET BRIDGE WHEN OUT OF THE CORNER OF OUR EYE WE SAW THE FIRST PLANE HIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER LOOKING SOUTH FROM THE 59TH STREET BRIDGE WE NOTICED THE SMOKE.

HE HANDED US KEYS TO VEHICLE AND WITH ABOUT FIVE ADDITIONAL OFF DUTY EMS MEMBERS DON'T KNOW THEIR NAMES THEY WERE WORKING ALSO AT THE LOCAL UNION THAT DAY WE GOT ON THE FDR SOUTHBOUND


Colon, John Firefighter Ladder 43
The officer, Glen Rohan, told Jerry Suden to put out car fires.

We climbed up a 35 foot portable ladder and we helped get the officer from Engine 1, who was deceased.


Congiusta, Frank Battalion Chief, Battalion 48

WHILE WE WERE ON THE PROSPECT EXPRESSWAY THE FIRST TOWER COLLAPSED. WHEN WE GOT ON THE GOWANUS I FIGURED THE TOP WOULD FALL OFF. ON THE RADIO THEY SAID THE TOWER COLLAPSED. WE WERE TRYING TO SEE WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE FIRST TOWER THAT COLLAPSED AND WE COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT IT WAS HARD TO TELL THROUGH THE SMOKE.

WE SEARCHED THE EIGHT FLOORS OF THE CUSTOMS BUILDING ON THE WEST SIDE
THE WHOLE MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING WAS BLOCKED OUT BY COLLAPSE

WHILE WE WERE SEARCHING THE SUBBASEMENTS THEY DECIDED THAT SEVEN WORLD TRADE CENTER WHICH WAS ACROSS THE STREET WAS GOING TO COLLAPSE SO THEY CALLED US OUT.


Conlon, Paul Captain Engine 216
Ted Murray, Chauffeur, Engine 216 [no transcript]
"Chris" Engine 216 [no transcript]
Tony Sanseviro, "backup," Engine 216 [no transcript]
John Johnson, probie, Engine 216 [no transcript]

Danny Suhr's captain,

"DAN HAD THE CONTROL OR THE HOOKUP AS HE CALLED IT, TED MURRAY WAS THE CHAUFFEUR, CHRIS WAS THE NOZZLE, AND TONY SANSEVIRO WAS THE BACKUP, JOHN JOHNSON WAS A PROBIE,"

Connolly, Patrick Firefighter Ladder 16
Brian Connolly, Ladder 17, [no transcript]
Joe Brosi, Fire Marshal, [no transcript]

[Self-responds with his brother. Survives second collapse inside Building 7.]

My brother drove us -- my other brother drove us to the Midtown Tunnel.

There were some interior stairs and they were gonna go down to probably more like a bomb shelter area and I think when Joe looked, it looked like it was destroyed.

And as we came out we started to walk north and slowly but surely and up and over and under steel and cars were -- cars with tires and cars were popping and they were just starting to light up spontaneously and there was near zero visibility at this stage.


Constantine, Peter EMT Battalion 20

As we started heading down the West Side Highway, we saw the second plane, we saw both towers on fire.

At that time, I don’t know what time it was, we heard across the radio the tower’s gonna fall, the tower’s gonna fall.
Q: You heard that on the radio?
A: Oh yeah, it came across. And then all of a sudden, when you looked up, you froze for a couple of seconds, you saw these little pieces falling off. Then all of a sudden, everyone started to run. Then, you started to run, your helping people, helping them run. You saw it, it was amazing…like out of a movie, you know, the cloud’s just chasing you. As you look back, you see it engulf people.

Everybody ran again, then there was a gas leak they said, they pushed everybody way back to 23rd. So you had all these units, all these rescue people stationed at 23rd street, and you couldn’t do anything.

I’m too young though, I’m 23.


Conzo, Joseph EMT Battalion 26, SHIELD NUMBER 2577,

AS WE STAGED ACROSS THE STREET CHIEF CHARLIE WELLS GRABBED MY PARTNER AND I AND SAID WE ARE GOING INTO THE BUILDING

AS WE WERE ENTERING IN THERE WITH OUR EQUIPMENT WE HEARD WHAT SEEMED TO BE A THIRD PLANE HITTING BUT I FOUND OUT LATER IT WAS THE COLLAPSE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.

[Blacked out name, as he walks to the water with DeShore]

I STOOD THERE AND I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO COMMANDEER A GOLF CART, A GATOR WHICH WAS THE ONLY THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY MANEUVER...

Cook, Louis Paramedic Division 2
Raoul Perez, medic [no transcript]
Joan Hill Gardner, "EMS people doing some election detail stuff," [no transcript]
Bill Haigney, "EMS people doing some election detail stuff," [no transcript]
Kevin Kelleher, paramedic [no transcript]
Felix Marquez, paramedic [no transcript]
Jerry Bacchus EMS/EMT [no transcript]
Roger Ahee EMS/EMT [no transcript]
Billy Olsen EMS/EMT [no transcript]
Mark Steffens EMS/EMT [no transcript]
Bobby Brown EMS/EMT [no transcript]
Billy Day EMS/EMT [no transcript]
Ron Pfeffer EMS/EMT [no transcript]

[Was associated with Chief Basile. Was on the North pedestrian bridge when the first collapse happened. Survived second collapse "shy"of Vesey Street. Meets back up with Basile near the water on Vesey shortly after the second collapse.]

We walked up West Street northbound to get to the command post, and there I remember
looking to my right and seeing an aircraft landing gear tire. I remember we were walking up, we were zigzagging through bodies and body parts. I just remember the smell of it being like a butcher shop with all the bodies around. I remember smelling that distinctly.

So Basile gets told by Gombo to set up at the south ferry, and we just kind of take our stuff and we started walking out of the hotel and we start walking from North End Avenue. We
looked. From where we are you can kind of see the pit and you can see the debris and everything going on.

I remember Billy Olsen coming over on the ferry. He said he had a skating rink on the other side set up and iced over for a morgue. He set that up. I didn't know what to say about that. I just let it go. There was nothing I could tell him.

We went through Whitehall Street. We came south again from the towers. We tried to find the car. It was amazing to see just what was all over the place. Buildings burning without any fire suppression or anything going on. It was amazing. It was just chaos, just junk and cars crushed. The bodies that I remembered seeing on West Street when we were going up to the command post originally were just kind of like covered up. They were all covered. I remember just thinking where all the bodies are. I'm walking around now and I can't see them.

We got to Chambers and Greenwich, and the chief turns around and says, "There's number
Seven World Trade. That's the OEM bunker." We had a snicker about that. We looked over, and it's engulfed in flames and starting to collapse. We're kind of caught in traffic and people and things, and everything's going on. We hear over the fire portable, "Everybody evacuate the site. It's going to collapse." Mark Steffens starts yelling, "Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here! We've got to go! We've got to go! It's going to collapse." I turned around, and I piped up real loud and said, "Stay in the frigging car. Roll the windows up. It's pancake collapsing. We'll be find. The debris will quit and the cloud will come through. Just stay in the car." We pulled the car over, turned around and just watched it pancake. We had a dust cloud but nothing like it was before.


Cook, Robert EMT Battalion 31, Shield 3719
Lieutenant Lugo EMS [no transcript]

Well, we were getting fuel at
Ladder 118 when people were coming up to the firehouse,
it's right over on Midagh Street and Henry, telling us
that a plane hit the World Trade Center.

Once we got over the bridge, the second plane hit. There was an explosion. We didn't know it was a second plane. We thought it was just exploding from the first plane.


Cooke, Alan EMT Battalion 31
Victor Camile, EMT Battalion 31, [she] [no transcript]
Chris Jackson EMT [Curtis?] [no transcript]

AT THAT TIME WE STOPPED AND THAT'S WHEN I HEARD THE RUMBLE. I HEARD A RUMBLE. BOTH OF US LOOKED UP AND WE SAW A PART OF THE BUILDING, I SAW A PART OF THE BUILDING COMING DOWN. I HAD THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ONE PIECE OF THE BUILDING COMING DOWN. I DIDN'T IN MY IMAGINATION, I DIDN'T THINK
IT WAS THE ENTIRE BUILDING COMING DOWN.

WE GOT TO THE BEGINNING OF THE FDR DRIVE, BY THE FERRY, AND I GUESS BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE STREETS CHANNEL EVERYTHING, ONE OF THE FIRE BALLS OR WHATEVER, HAD TO HAVE MADE IT AS FAR AS THE SOUTH STREET SEAPORT, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT TIME, IT SEEMED LIKE AN EXPLOSION WAS COMING FROM THERE. I THOUGHT AN EXPLOSION WAS COMING FROM THERE, THAT'S WHEN EVERYBODY STARTED RUNNING TOWARDS US FROM THE SEAPORT.

I KNEW AT THAT TIME THERE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ANY PLANES FLYING BUT I HEARD PLANES FLYING, AND AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE, I REALLY DID , I THOUGHT WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, THEN I THOUGHT THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE AT THE SEAPORT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A SECONDARY AND HERDING EVERYBODY TOWARDS THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS ASKING ME WHERE
SHOULD WE GO, WHERE SHOULD WE GO. I JUST TOLD THEM TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEAD NORTH, OR TOWARDS BROOKLYN.

BEEKMAN NEEDED SOMEBODY WITH HEAD INJURY TRANSPORTED TO BELLEVUE. SO WE TRANSPORTED THAT GENTLEMAN TO BELLEVUE. HE DIDNT MAKE IT.


Coutsouros, Dean Firefighter 2nd Grade, Engine 220
Firefighter George Marsh [no transcript]
Firefighter Eddie Plunkett [no transcript]
Lieutenant John Orloff, Buffalo from 201
Dave Koyles, from Ladder 122, who was in the Marriott collapse.


AND WE GOT IN FRONT OF 90 WEST STREET. WE HELD UP THERE FOR FEW MINUTES UNDERNEATH THE SCAFFOLDING TO REASSESS THE SITUATION, HOW WE WERE GOING TO GET INTO THE BUILDING. THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF HUMAN DEBRIS, THE LANDING GEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THAT PARKING LOT THERE. IT WAS RIGHT NEAR US. THERE WAS ALL KIND OF STUFF ALL OVER THE FLOOR. OTHER COMPANIES NEAR US I THINK, WERE 205, AND THERE WAS A TRUCK COMPANY THERE, BUT I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHO IT WAS, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 117.

I HAPPENED TO BE LOOKING UP AT IT, AND FROM THE FIRE FLOOR DOWN IT WAS JUST LIKE REALLY LOUD CRACKLING NOISE. IT SOUNDED LIKE A MILLION FIRECRACKERS AND JUST A WAVE, RIGHT FROM THE FIRE FLOOR DOWN, JUST A WAVE THAT STARTED TO COME DOWN.

OVER HERE THERE WAS A GAS LEAK. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS TELLING EVERYBODY TO GET OUT OF THE AREA, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

FROM THERE WE WOUND UP GETTING UP FROM THERE, WALKING AWAY, SOME GUY WITH GOLF CART TOOK US DOWN TO LIKE BATTERY PARK. FROM THERE TWO DETECTIVES THREW US IN THE BACK OF THEIR CAR AND THEY TOOK US TO THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY TERMINAL

Coyle, John Fire Marshall Brooklyn Base Squad 34
Joe Mazzarella [no transcript]

THERE WERE LOT OF PEOPLE JUMPING. THAT WAS HORRIBLE. I WAS SHOOK UP. I HAVE NEVER BEEN THAT SHAKEN UP BY ANYTHING BEFORE. I WASSTANDING THERE AND COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT. YOU COULD SEE PEOPLE APPARENTLY HOLDING THEIR COATS OUT TO TRY AND FLY OR SOMETHING AND THEN ADJUSTING TO THE LANDING. IT WAS FUCKING AWFUL.

THE TOWER WAS---IT LOOKED TO ME---I THOUGHT IT WAS EXPLODING ACTUALLY, THATS WHAT I THOUGHT FOR HOURS AFTERWARDS, THAT IT HAD EXPLODED OR THE PLANE OR THERE HAD BEEN SOME DEVICE ON THE PLANE THAT HAD EXPLODED BECAUSE THE DEBRIS FROM THE TOWER HAD SHOT OUT FAR OVER OUR HEADS IT WAS RAINING DOWN.

EVERYBODY THINK AT THAT POINT STILL THOUGHT THESE THINGS WERE BLOWN UP SO I WAS FULLY EXPECTING ANYTHING ELSE TO BLOW UP.


Coyne, Ronald EMT Battalion 44
[A real first-class looter.] [nearly four-pages blacked out.]

AND WAS LOOKING AT THE CAR GARAGES AND THE CARS IN THE STREET AND ME AND THREE BUDDIES OF MINE FROM STREET CRIME WERE BREAKING WINDOWS
IN THE CARS TO LOOK FOR INFANTS AND ADULTS UNCONSCIOUS ADULTS BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH DUST ON THEM THAT WE COULDN'T SEE THROUGH.

I SEARCHED THE ENTIRE BUILDING TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NOBODY IN IT THERE WAS NOBODY FOUND WHATEVER APARTMENT DOORS WERE OPEN I JUST TOOK PEAK IN TO SEE IF ANYBODY WAS ON THE FLOOR AND THEN AUTOMATICALLY
LOCKED THE DOORS AND LEFT THEN LEFT THE BUILDING AND WENT BACK TO TRY AND FIND MY PARTNER.

THERE WAS FRUIT PLACE OVER BY THE CORNER ON ONE OF THE CORNERS AND IT HAD ALREADY BEEN BLOWN APART BY THE BLAST AND THE COLLAPSE. I ENTERED IT, STARTED WASHING OFF FRUIT, HAD FIREMEN COMPLAINING OF CRAMPING IN THEIR STOMACHS AND IN THEIR LEGS AND I KNEW THEIR POTASSIUM WAS DROPPING SO I WAS BRINGING OUT BANANAS AND APPLES AND ALL SORTS OF FRUIT BASKETS OF THEM TO HAND THEM OUT TO THESE FIREMEN SO THAT THEY
COULD CONTINUE TO DO THEIR JOB.

I SAW HANDS AND LEGS AND I SAW A WOMAN IMPALED INTO WALL ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE BUILDING. I SAW PEOPLE JUMPING OUT OF THE WINDOWS
WHEN THEY WERE COLLAPSING, GOING THROUGH CARS AND HITTING THE PAVEMENT, AND THAT WAS ONLY EARLY IN THE MORNING.


Cronick, Kevin Firefighter Engine 3

Q. Where were you when the second tower collapsed?
A. When the second tower collapsed, we were just down by the river I think.
Q. Did the dust cloud get that far?
A. Not really, no. It never reached that point. That was pretty much where we remained until we moved back into the area.

Cruthers, Frank Chief Fire Department
[interview takes all of 15 minutes]
Chief Tom Haring from the Eighth Division, [no transcript]

And while I was still in that immediate area, the south tower, 2 World Trade Center, there was what appeared to be at first an explosion. It appeared at the very top, simultaneously from all four sides, materials shot out horizontally. And then there seemed to be a momentary delay before you could see the beginning of the collapse.

Early on, there was concern that 7 World Trade Center might have been both impacted by the
collapsing tower and had several fires in it and there was a concern that it might collapse. So we instructed that a collapse area --
Q. A collapse zone?
A. Yeah -- be set up and maintained so that when the expected collapse of 7 happened, we wouldn't have people working in it. There was considerable discussion with Con Ed regarding the substation in that building and the feeders and the oil coolants and so on. And their concern was of the type of fire we might have when it collapsed. They shut down the power, and when it did collapse, the things that they were concerned with would have been. That's about it.


Cruz, Allan EMT FDNY, SHIELD NUMBER 3361

AS EXITED MY VEHICLE SAW THIS HUGE FIRE UP ON THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW?

AS I WAS STANDING, THERE WAS BUNCH OF PEOPLE HIDING BEHIND AND AROUND
MY VEHICLE. AS WE WERE STANDING THERE, THIS ONE LADY TO MY LEFT GRABBED ME REALLY, REALLY TIGHT. MY FOREARM MY LEFT FOREARM. AND WE WERE BOTH LOOKING UP AT THIS FIRE. WE BOTH HEAR THIS RUMBLE AND FELT A VIBRATION. WE LOOKED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT ALL OF US THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF US RIGHT NEXT TO MY VEHICLE AND HERE COMES THIS PLANE, HUGE PLANE. THE LADY NEXT TO ME SAYS, "OH MY GOD ITS GONNA HIT THE BUILDING!" I DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE HER FALSE INFORMATION, SO I SAID, "GEE, I DON'T THINK SO," WELL, I HOPE NOT, I MEAN WE'RE LOOKING AT IT SORT OF IN THREE DIMENSIONS
SO I'M THINKING ITS GONNA GO BEHIND THE BUILDING FROM WHERE WERE STANDING, IT'S GONNA GO RIGHT BEHIND IT BUT IT WAS TOO BIG AND FAR TOO LOW AT THAT MOMENT. I SAID ITS GONNA HIT ITS ACTUALLY GONNA HIT AND IT HIT, SHE SCREAMED, SHE SAID, "OH MY GOD!" AT WHICH POINT I SAID EVERYBODY JUST RUN, AND THERE WERE SOME CURSE WORDS. I TOLD EVERYBODY YOU GOTTA RUN RUN RUN THEY PROCEEDED TO RUN. IN TURN, I JUMPED INTO MY VEHICLE AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF DEBRIS JUST CAME CRASHING DOWN ON TOP OF MY VEHICLE AT WHICH POINT I SAID, NO I EXITED MY VEHICLE AND I TOO RAN BEHIND MY VEHICLE. UNBEKNOWNST TO ME THERE WERE STILL PEOPLE HIDING NOT
ONLY BEHIND BUT UNDERNEATH MY VEHICLE.


Culley, John Kevin Captain Office of Emergency Management

Was going to work area on 23rd floor at 7 World Trade Center on 9/11

"From the lobby we saw debris falling from above. We could not actually see the impact due to the view. When the debris stopped falling, I left the third-floor lobby, ran out onto the street, looked up, saw fire showing out of two, three floors, on two sides of the building, the north face and the east face of the building. There was no sign that it was a plane, at least not to me."

"what I'm supposed to do is liaison to any agencies other than Fire with the incident commander. So at that scene you had Port Authority, you had some other federal agencies, FBI is one that I recall, and you also had your building -- the World Trade Center Fire Safety
Director and his staff,"

"Q. What were you seeing in the lobby as you got there?
A. In the lobby, all the usual people, the 1st Division, 1st Battalion, reporting in units, I can't
remember specifically, the Fire Safety Director, who I recognized, FBI agents, people on the staff, building staff, particularly people that were involved with helping us read the elevator panels."

"There were no elevators in operation. What made it more of a problem is that all those elevators were shut down and there were people in them. So we were actually -- once I had staff that could operate the panel, they could speak to each individual elevator, ask how many people are in the elevator, what floor they were on, and if there's anyone injured, and I was passing that information on to the incident commander."

"Q. Can you describe what you visually were seeing around, like outside or on the concourse?
A. On the concourse? I don't remember on the concourse. In the lobby? As I said, the usual people that would show up. I saw at least three chaplains there."

"Also, I'd note that, once I arrived at the fire command station, I was told by someone who had
actually witnessed the plane hitting it that it was indeed a plane. Up until that point, I thought it was a bomb."

"Q. Were there any communications at that point; radios still working?
A. The radio that I carry is an 800 megahertz connected to the OEM channels. I was transmitting and receiving. All the Fire Department radios that I was aware of were transmitting, you know, you could hear all the conversations going on."

"It was also clear then that there wasn't any control of that building, no elevators, communications above. Except for that one conversation on the 51st floor, as far as I know, there were no other conversations. That doesn't mean I knew everything. We did have conversations with people stuck on elevators and that was it."

"Q. The first building came down. What was the operation line? What was going on?
A. Nothing really had changed. Like I said, all the elevators were still stuck. I think there were
elevators that were on the first floor, the doors closed. Not that I saw it. I looked at the panel and realized that some of these stuck elevators are right here on the lobby floor and people were assigned to go take care of that."

"A. We found an opening and ran what I thought was directly down a set of stairs. I found out later we actually were in a hallway for a while and then ducked into some stairs. My belief is that we actually ran out of the building enclosed. The stairwell we were in was probably inside of 6 World Trade."

"We stumbled upon Judge. He had no pulse. One of the Chiefs just said we're not going to leave
him here. We just picked him up and went up the stairs we came down. I can't tell you how we got outside. It was still dark. We ended up in front of-- we ended up on the west face of 6 World Trade Center, which happens to be up on a pedestrian walkway which is like three stories up. We had no way to get down. So we were still carrying the chaplain. We come around on the Vesey side of this pedestrian walkway. You really couldn't see more than about 60 feet in front of you at best. So I sort of ran ahead of the group to see if we could get over any obstructions, and if it became a dead end, we were going to have to turn around. So that's what I was doing.
We got to the end of 6 World Trade, there's a gap between 6 and 5. We really didn't know what had happened. We heard all this noise, but we didn't know what actually happened. There was a lot of debris out there. It was unclear. I looked to where 2 World Trade -- the south tower was. You really couldn't see through it. I figured it was a dangerous area. We were going to have to run this gap between 6 and 5. It didn't seem like anything was happening. We took Judge's body in a chair and we ran across that gap. We went down the escalator stairs right there and that gets us down onto the street. Now we can get away from the building."

"A. We get to the corner of Vesey and Church. We turn over Judge's body to some EMTs. I ran into two federal officers, I always think they're FBI, but there's a lot of federal badges, and they said they were going to be setting up -- or somebody had notice that there was going to be a command center set up on either Park Place or Murray, one of those streets just north of the area, and that's where I would normally be assigned."

"Q. So with the secondary collapse, the only persons with you were FBI agents? Were there any Fire Chiefs?
A. No. I was with a group. When we carried Judge's body out, I was with the 1st Division, a couple of Port Authority cops, one of the aides, one of the firemen. I couldn't tell you who else. I remember another OEM fellow who I had met on the way down.
Q. Is he a firefighter? Is he Fire Department personnel?
A. He was an EMT that works in OEM."

Cunniffe, Sean EMT Battalion 31

The second plane came in. It was the biggest noise I ever heard in my life.
Q. Did you see the plane?
A. Yeah. We saw it, we heard it, we felt the heat from it, the debris. We ducked under a
truck, Fire Patrol 3, I believe it was, parked right over here. Just before -- because we started running.

I remember seeing this woman. She was about maybe 5-5, close to 250. She was hobbling.
I looked at her. She had a broken leg. I wound up grabbing her, putting her arm around me and just dragging her out of the building, because she was slowing too many people up.

I guess we were standing right in the middle of West Street when we heard over the radio that tower one is leaning, everybody evacuate, evacuate, evacuate. We were just trying to get as many people out of there as possible just telling them to run. As soon as one started coming down, that's when we started running. I didn't stop until I got to the water.

There were a lot of firefighters that just dropped their packs. They were going around in a little golf cart.


Curran, Paul Fire Patrolman Fire Patrol number 3
Sergeant Kenny, [no transcript]
Sergeant Sheehan from Fire Patrol 2 [no transcript]
Keith Roma [no transcript]
Captain Greco, Fire Patrol 3 [no transcript]
Mike Angelini, [no transcript]


We reached luckily around John Street when the second tower was hit by the plane, another plane. At the time we didn't realize it was a plane. We just heard a massive explosion. Debris rained down on us.

We proceeded down to Vesey. Walking down Vesey, we noticed large pieces of what looked like possibly the fuselage from the plane. There was a caravan of motorcycle police coming up. We stopped them and we cleared the path of big O rings and pieces of fuselage of the plane. We threw it to the side, and we told the guys to go on. They went up towards Church.

At that time we heard the jumpers. A lot of jumpers were hitting right above our heads on the concourse plaza level. It was like one thump, another thump. I lost count about 19. I saw Father Michael Judge. We went up the escalator of the customs house, myself and Sergeant Kenny, to see what the situation was up there. It wasn't a pretty sight. There were numerous bodies. So we went back downstairs to the lobby, and Father Judge kind of like gave us a look. I remember telling Father Judge, "It's terrible up there, Father." I did see Father Michael go up the escalators of the customs house. I guess that's World Trade -- what would that be, seven, I imagine? The customs house. It's Eight World Trade Center.
Q. Eight World Trade. Okay.
A. He was up there for a period of time. We were staying in the lobby for about -- there were people hitting the deck up there. There were body parts -- at one point a body part flew right through the lobby. There was an ironworker in there, which he plays a part later on. With that, all a sudden the tower went completely -- a horrendous noise, a very, very tremendous explosion, and a very heavy wind came through the tower. The wind almost knocked you down. We were on the north side of the elevator banks, and they kind of broke up that wind.

While we were making our way to the World Trade Center, the customs house, to go up the escalators to go out, we were going to go out the other way, down West Broadway and down the staircase there. We found Father Judge. Father Michael was laying at the bottom of the escalators. He wasn't bleeding or anything like that; he was just unconscious.
Q. Tell me exactly where that was now.
A. This was in Eight World Trade Center, in the building --
Q. Outside the building?
A. -- in the building at the foot of the escalators, going up to the concourse level. He was laying there. The guys from the truck company, the whole patrol was there, some guys from the truck company, they opened up his coat and they started working on him. With that, the building was shaking. It got very dark. We had our lights on. It got very, very thick with dust.
I remember saying, "We've got to get out of here. We've got to get out of here. Let's pick up" -- They picked up Father Michael, and they carried him up on the escalator.

A lot of car fires erupted. All of a sudden cars were blowing up everywhere.

Q. Everybody tells me all these vehicles were on fire. What do you attribute all these vehicles being on fire to?
A. I believe it must have been from the debris falling and the heat just started hitting the cars and starting cars on fire. There were an awful lot of cars burning, an awful lot. It had to be radiated heat or just stuff falling on cars and setting them on fire. There were numerous cars burning, numerous.



Curran, James Firefighter Ladder Company 8
Lieutenant Halloran 8 Truck [no transcript]
John Tierney from Ladder 9 [dead]
Danny Murphy
Sal Butera
Kevin Dinkins
Wade from 33


Ladder 8, Ladder 1, and Engine 7 all respond to "odor of gas" on the corner of Church and Lispenard.

WE TRIED TO GET INTO THE TAXI INDENT BUT THERE WERE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND BURNT ON THE WEST SIDE HIGHWAY TO WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE
HAD TO RUN THEM OVER TO GET ANY CLOSER SO WE GOT OUT OF THE RIG WENT IN THE LOBBY. ENGINE PULLED UP RIGHT BEHIND US AND LADDER WAS BEHIND THEM.

WE WALKED ALL THE WAY AROUND AGAIN TRYING TO FIND A WORKING ELEVATOR. THERE WAS FINALLY ONE RIGHT NEAR THE COMMAND POST BY THE SILVER DESK IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE MEZZANINE LEVEL. IT WAS WORKING. LIEUTENANT HALLORAN MADE THE CALL HE WAS LIKE NO WE ARENT TAKING THE ELEVATOR IN THIS CASE WE WILL WALK I BELIEVE THATS THE ELEVATOR THAT 20 TRUCK AND SQUAD 1 WOUND UP CATCHING AND WENT TO THE 16TH FLOOR BELIEVE.

NO WE WERE ON THE 16 FLOOR WHEN IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT ANOTHER PLANE HIT TOWER TWO AT THAT POINT SOMEONE THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY SECRET SERVICE, WHICH DISAPPEARED, WE NEVER KNEW WHERE HE WENT, HE SAID
THERE WAS THIRD INCOMING FLIGHT THAT WAS---
Q: HE WAS TELLING EVERYBODY THAT


Q: How long do you think it would have taken you to get to the 80th floor if you had gone to the 80th floor?
A: I'm guessing, probably 4 hours, 3 and a half hours. It took us just about an hour, maybe a little over an hour. to get to the 30th.