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9/11 is one of the most terrifying acts of terror during modern times leaving causalities that reached up to 2,977 overall including the twin towers, the Pentagon and the airliner crash in Shanksville.(Kevin McCoy, 2015).
The World Trade Centre Site:
It all started on a clear Tuesday morning at 8; 45 am to be more specific, when a Boeing 767 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre (WTC). The first crash was followed by a second one 18 minutes later targeting the South tower. At 9:45 am exactly, when people were still in shock watching the collapse of the WTC, a third plane crashed into the West side of the Pentagon at Washington DC. And a forth plane crashed in Pennsylvania that was believed to be targeting the White House, The US Capitol or Camp David. During these dark times, when most of the people were escaping danger zone, men on duty were rushing towards them to save lives. In this essay, we are going to discuss the role of a segment in the cavalry, who risked their own lives to save others, the firefighters.
The most common shots on social media during that day, was for firefighters all covered in grey ash carrying civilians on shoulders and extracting them away from danger zones. Nearly 200 firefighters lost their lives at the North Tower only; their heroic role was to evacuate as much civilians as possible after the collapse of the Southern one. Poor communication didn`t hold back those heroes from performing their duty; most of the firefighters in the Northern tower didn`t have knowledge that they had 29 minutes to evacuate the building according to most of the 58 firefighters who managed to survive. "Not in my wildest dream did I think those towers were coming down,"(David Sandvik, 2005). Moreover, technical problems were not the only obstacle that firefighters had to deal with, imagine the scenery that those heroes were subjected to, during performing their duty; “Sections of burning plane, a wheel still on fire, debris everywhere and pieces of people, people still in their seats. It was like nothing I had ever seen before.” (Phillip Sherwell, 2011) This testimonial was by a firefighter that had to go through this nightmare. It demands stress management, being decisive and responsive to work under those conditions to be able to save lives. 15 years later, firefighters who were on ground near the WTC in 9/11 still do pay their lives as a result of their heroic actions. Three retired New York fighters; Howard Bischoff, Robert Leaver and Daniel Heglund died due to illness that is most probably related to the release of toxic dust on that day. (Lauren Gambino, 2014). The 3 firefighter died due to leukemia, esophageal cancer and colon cancer. The first firefighters who arrived at the danger zone reported that the air was hazardous and toxic; it remained in this state for several months later.
The role of those heroes didn`t just stop at evacuating civilians from the WTC, it also involved an intense search and rescue effort at the Ground Zero aftermath; searching for survivors between the rubble and delivering them to the medics so they can receive the medical care that they need was one the most important post-catastrophe acts performed by the firefighters. The moment of triumph when survivors meet their families was repetitive and seen all over the media.
The Pentagon Site:
The Pentagon has been a target to several terror attacks due to its importance and significance as it resembles the military defense for the US. None could ever imagined this fortress that is located in Arlington County which is the smallest geographically among others, to witness such attack one hour later after the WTC catastrophe. Yet, the role of Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) was nothing less than their colleagues in New York Fire Department (NYFD) regarding patriotism and heroic acts. The ACFD managed to control the situation professionally and swiftly due to their quick implementation of the incident command system (ICS) which helped them to take control and prevent chaos.( Rudy Eversburg, 2002) . The ICS is basically an operation procedure that gives the authority to the host agency in case a response is needed during an event that involved multiple jurisdictions. In addition, their coordination with other agencies helped in overcoming the crisis with the least number of casualties. 184 out of 189 persons were killed in the Pentagon attack according to the report that was issued by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in November 2001. For many people, the Pentagon act of terror may not be dramatic as the WTC one taking into consideration the casualties’ numbers and destroyed premises. On the other hand, a successful act of terror for the Ministry of Defense headquarters on its land was a major hit strategic wise. Thanks to the ACFD, things would have gone way worse than they were.
Apart from the political and economical consequences, there are thousands of heart- breaking stories that are related to the 9/11 acts of terror and the firefighting force. Widowed ladies and orphaned children whom their husbands and fathers lost their lives trying to save others. Their Heroic acts and stories definitely taught humanity a lesson and will always remain a memory that resembles patriotism and courage throughout times.
Reference:
Eversburg, R. (2002). The Pentagon Attack on 9-11: Arlington County (VA) Fire Department Response. Fire Engineering. Retrieved from http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-155/issue-11/features/the-pentagon-attack-on-9-11-arlington-county-va-fire-department-response.html
Gambino, L. (2014). Three New York firefighters die of 9/11-related illnesses, FDNY says. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/25/new-york-firefighters-die-911-illnesses-nyfd-says
McCoy, K. (2015). 9/11 Death and injury total still rising. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/09/09/911-death-and-injury-total-still-rising/71943340/
Sandvik, D. (2015). 9/11 Firefighters Told of Isolation Amid Disaster. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/09/nyregion/nyregionspecial3/911-firefighters-told-of-isolation-amid-disaster.html?_r=0
Sherwell, P. (2011). September 11 fireman: 'It felt like the end of the world'. The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/september-11-attacks/8754605/September-11-fireman-It-felt-like-the-end-of-the-world.html
