A 9/11 Story

[nfd2004 750]

This is a 9/11 Story of TRUE Brotherhood within the fire service after the Tragic events of September 11, 2001. A story about an FDNY Rescue Company that lost all of it's members when they responded to the World Trade Center. A story about a FDNY Firefighter who dedicated himself to the children of those lost members, FDNY Firefighter Jo Jo Esposito.

 

There's hundreds of stories of people helping people after the Worst Attack in the history of America.

 

Here is that story of Jo Jo.

http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/nyer-of-the-week/2016/09/3/nyer-of-the-week--jo-jo-esposito-stays-loyal-to-the-families-of-his-fallen-brothers.html 

Edited September 8, 2016 by nfd2004

[fire patrol nyc 153]

Remember Keith Roma...Fire Patrol 2 number "344".....RIP brother

[nfd2004 750]

Marcy Borders, age 42, known to most as "the Dust Lady" dies from cancer believed to be related to the World Trade Center dust when those two, 110 story buildings collapsed.

 

 Here is the sad story, as many today still suffer from the effects of that dust. Many also have since passed away from it.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/26/us/9-11-survivor-dust-lady-dies/ 

Edited September 8, 2016 by nfd2004

[nfd2004 750]

The Day of Terror, September 11, 2001, when America was attacked.

 

This year marks the 15th Anniversary and we should NEVER FORGET. So many innocent lives were taken away. Including:

 

  343 - New York City Firefighters (FDNY)

  37 - Police Officers of the Port Authority of NY/NJ (PAPD)

  24 - New York City Police Officers (NYPD)

  8 - EMTs/Medics

 

It was the "Deadliest Attack on American soil".

 

 2,606 - killed from the World Trade Center, plus 6,000 injured.

  265 - killed from the Four planes that crashed (Two into the WTC, One in a field in Shanksville, Pa., and One into the Pentagon)

  125 - killed at the U.S. Pentagon

 

2,996 - Totally innocent Americans murdered that day. Each one not just a number, but a human being with families and friends who still miss them today. Today that count continues to rise as more people are dying from the effects of that dust cloud when those Two - 110 story buildings collapsed. For many of us we watched this all live on our televisions. WE MUST NEVER FORGET.

 

  All flights in America were forced to land. For the first and only time in America there were no planes flying. The only planes in the air were U.S. Fighter Jets.

 

  Many of the injured were expected to be transported by train to some of our hospitals in Connecticut. For my sister in law, an RN at Bridgeport (CT) Hospital, a Code D was activated. Meaning all off duty nurses were to report back to work. As they waited, nobody arrived.

 

  Retired FDNY Captain John Vigiano lost two of his sons on September 11, 2001. One a FDNY Firefighter (John) and the other a NYPD Detective (Joe). Ironically his two sons were often referred to as "The Twin Towers", named after the two World Trade Center Buildings.

 www.americanpolicenews.com/vigiano.html  

 

  Sometimes there were five or six funerals a day for those FDNY Firefighters. It was sometimes impossible for these firefighters to go to all of these funerals. There was a request made for firefighters from anywhere, just to show up in uniform to try and give each member the full fire department honor they deserved.

 

  Not only was it necessary to fill those 343 firefighter positions to give the city adequate coverage, but there was also a required amount of firefighters needed to continue searching through the huge pile from the collapse of these two buildings. In addition there was a commitment by the members of the FDNY to cover each and every firehouse in which a funeral was occurring. Just so that those who worked with them could attend the funeral of those they shared the same firehouse with. There were times when those guys did not get home to see their own families for weeks. And this went on for almost a year.

 

  Today, many Ground Zero Firefighters, EMTs, Police Officers, and other nearby Ground Zero workers have come down with 9/11 linked cancer. Others have severe breathing problems. PLUS, the other, over 5,400 people who have suffered from the 9/11 linked cancer. They were also exposed to that dust.

 

  There were many hero's that day. Each one with a story to be told.

 

  A country singer named Alan Jackson decided to write a song about it. He called it; "Where were you when the World Stopped Turning". For those of us who watched these events play out, it is a day we will Never Forget. To this day, 15 years later, it is still hard to believe. Our condolences to those who lost so many of your friends and family members. We thank all of the first responders and other workers involved for the job you did. A job that no one else in our civilized society, has ever had to do.

 

  As we listen to this song, these are some of the memories we saw. Live on TV as it happened, from The Day of Terror, September 11, 2001.

 

 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ittG66J8_hQ

[nfd2004 750]

I had been working the day shift at fire headquarters in Norwich, Ct. As the events played out, off duty guys were calling in asking if they should go down to NYC. The Chief of Department came out and said, "if we get called to go, we will go down as a group, not individually". Norwich, Ct is about 130 miles from that WTC site. The chief did say that it is possible many of the on duty shift would be held over into the night shift. That entire night shift was held over as nobody really knew what was next. I think the biggest concern for us was the fact that two nearby casinos were a possibility of being a target.

 

 Later that afternoon everyone was advised NOT to go down to NYC. There was already enough people and fire companies coming in from outside the city. As I remember both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium were used as staging areas for companies coming in from Westchester County and Long Island. However, a list was made up of our guys willing to relocate into the cities of New Haven, Bridgeport, Norwalk or Stamford, as those guys would be much closer to relocate to New York City firehouses. I remember about half the guys signed up and we were willing to bring supplies with us for about a two week stay. The group would be divided in half known as "A" Group and "B" Group, taking turns to relocate. A reserve engine and ladder would be used. The other half of the guys were told, they would required to cover our empty positions while gone. This was fully understood by ALL of the members of the department.

 

 I think it really hit me when one of the first names I had heard was Chief Ray Downey as one of those 9/11 LODDs identified about 8 pm. Chief Downey was a Role Model to me. I used to attend many of the classes put on as a fund raiser for the NYC Burn Unit. Those classes were held about once every three months at the FDNY Fire Academy. The guest speakers got no money for this and they would very often then bring the classes to the Fire Expo etc. Chief Ray Downey, as well as the very well respected, Lt Andy Fredricks, who we also lost, were very often a part of that program.

 

 Everything basically shut down. In fact, late that afternoon, even the casinos shut down, where my wife worked the 3 - 11 pm shift.

 

 My brother was a battalion chief in Bridgeport. When he walked into the firehouse the next day, he was to report to the Chiefs Office. There he was also told to get a list of guys from the shift willing to go down to NYC. They were also told it would be for a period of one or two weeks. I also believe during the initial stages the Metro North Railroad was offering free rides to firefighters who were going into NYC. And the Bridgeport Firefighters were part of the group that went down there through the department.

 

 It was the first time in the FDNY history that there was such a huge response from outside the city put into effect. This had never happened before. I believe after the event was finally over, the FDNY came out with a full report on the entire operation. There were lessoned learned that today they would do different.

 

 Also some changes would take place in the D.C. area after the huge operation that was organized to deal with a large commercial airliner crashing into places like the Pentagon.

 

 Not only did some operations change for the FDNY, and DC area departments, BUT "THE ENTIRE WORLD CHANGED AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. Security is now a key issue for the safety of many people who work within Federal areas, as well as those who travel within our airlines. Even major events such as the New Years Eve celebration in NYC, as well as other cities, have taken major steps in trying to secure the publics safety.

 

 

[AFS1970 504]

Although forgotten in most of the body counts there were also NYS Court Officers, an NYC Fire Patrolman, 2 private Fire Guards (who were retired from FDNY) and several private security officers.

[nfd2004 750]

As we so often here, "9/11 Never Forget". Here are two 9/11 first responders, both suffering from 9/11 linked cancer, who work towards making sure that does not happen.

 

http://pix11.com/2016/09/10/two-ailing-first-responders-continue-teaching-children-about-911/ 

Edited September 12, 2016 by nfd2004

[nfd2004 750]

Now that the 15th Anniversary of the Attack on America has passed, for most us our lives will continue as it normally does. But for those who have lost their loved ones, everyday that passes, they don't forget.

 

 So as our daily lives go on, here is a video of someone who won't forget. She will NEVER FORGET.

 

 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyLxuy4tPLs