WORLD TRADE CENTER TASK FORCE INTERVIEW EMT ALEXANDER LOUTSKY

FILE NO 9110151 WORLD TRADE CENTER TASK FORCE INTERVIEW EMT ALEXANDER LOUTSKY INTERVIEW DATE OCTOBER 24 2001 TRANSCRIBED BY ELISABETH NASON

MR RADENBERG TODAY IS OCTOBER 24 2001 IM PAUL RADENBERG OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK THE TIME IS NOW 0632 HOURS IM CONDUCTING AN INTERVIEW WITH EMT ALEXANDER LOUTSKY OF BATTALION THIS INTERVIEW IS BEING CONDUCTED AT EMS BATTALION REGARDING THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11 2001 ALEX BEGIN WITH WHEN YOU WERE ASSIGNED TO THE JOB OR OKAY WELL WHAT HAPPENED WAS HAD JUST EXCHANQED VEHICLES AT BATTALION AROUND LITTLE AFTER 830 AND WAS IN VEHICLE WAS REASSIGNED TO VEHICLE 219 AS WAS GOING BACK TO MY AREA WHICH IS FEW BLOCKS FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER WAS TALKING WITH MY PARTNER HANK RAMOS AND SAW IN FRONT OF ME WHILE WE WERE ABOUT WOULD SAY AROUND PEARL STREET WE HAD VIEW OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER WHICH WAS ONLY FEW BLOCKS AWAY AND STOPPED HIM AND SAID TO LOOK AT THAT PLANE THAT IT WAS FLYING EXTREMELY LOW AND THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO HIT FEW SECONDS LATER IT DID HIT AFT THAT KIND SH UP PICKED UP THE RADIO AND TRANSMITTED PRIORITY SIGNAL TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IT WAS AN EMS CONFIRMATION

THAT PLANE HAD IN FACT HIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AFTER THAT THE DISPATCHER ACKNOWLEDGED IT BUT THE RADIO THEN BECAME FLOODED WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT SIGNALS THAT WE WERENT ABLE TO REALLY LET HIM KNOW WE WERE HEADED THERE WE WERE JUST COUPLE OF BLOCKS FROM THERE SO WE DID WE HEADED THERE AND WE WERE WE WENT TO CHURCH AND FULTON STREET WHICH WAS RIGHT BY THE MILLENNIUM HOTEL WE ACTUALLY WERE RIGHT BY ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY SHOULD SAY WE WERE MORE CLOSE TO THE ST PAULS CEMETERY WE WERE PARKED RIGHT THERE WHEN WE GOT THERE WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE STREAMING OUT OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER THEY LOOKED TERRIFIED THEY WERE PANICKED SOME OF THEM HAD VARIOUS DEGREES OF INJ11RI MANY IH JIISI RUNNING WCMIIND AS IT WERE BUT THEY HAD VARYING DEGREES OF INJURIES BUT THEY WERE RUNNING SO FORTH AND SO ON WE WERE BASICALLY INUNDATED WE COULDNT RADIO WAS OPERATING THE VEHICLE THAT DAY SO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING THE RADIO TRANSMISSIONS AND JUST FOUND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IT BECAUSE IT WAS JUST INUNDATED JUST JAMMED WITH SO MANY SIGNALS THAT WASNT ABLE TO WE HAD SO

MANY VICTIMS THAT CAME UP TO US THAT SOME OF THEM MY PARTNER WAS ATTENDING TO OTHERS TRIED TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT HOWEVER IT WAS VAIN ATTEMPT AT HAVING TRIAGE AND TRYING TO LINE THEM UP AND TAG THEM THERE WERE JUST TOO MANY OF THEM AND MANY OF THEM WERE ASKING QUESTIONS AND SOME OF THEM WERE IN SUCH SHOCK THAT THEIR QUESTIONS SEEMED YOU KNOW JUST WASTE OF TIME LIKE SHOULD GO BACK IN AND GET MY WIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WE TRIED OUR BEST THAT WAY THEN WHAT HAPPENED IS THE SECOND UNIT CAME BEHIND US BELIEVE IT WAS BOY IT WAS DAVID TIMOTHY AND CANT RECALL OFFHAND WHO HE WAS WORKING WITH OH JAI ZION BELIEVE HE RESIGNED THEY THEN CAME AND TOGETHER WE TRIED TO DO THE SAME THING THEN AT THAT POINT FIRE TRUCK CAME THROUGH AND WE STARTED THEN WE STARTED TO REALIZE THAT WITH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE SWELLING THAT THE AREA WAS GOING TO BECOME DIFFICULT FOR FURTHER EMERGENCY RESOURCES TO GET THROUGH SO WE TRIED TO MAKE ROOM AND SO FORTH AND SO ON TH GU JUST AB THAT TIM IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME IT WAS LIEUTENANT DAVILA HE CAME ON THE SCENE AND WE WERE ABLE TO AT LEAST HAVE SOME

SEMBLANCE OF COMMAND WHEN THAT OCCURRED HE HAD ORDERED US TO GO TO PROCEED WITH HIM TO WEST STREET REALLY IN BETWEEN VESEY AND LIBERTY MORE LIKE WHERE WORLD TRADE CENTER WAS WE HAD NUMBER OF VICTIMS WHO BECAME OUR PATIENTS AND WE WERE SUCCESSFULLY TAGGING THEM AND WOULD SAY LESS THAN 10 AT THE TIME YOU KNOW MANY PEOPLE WERE JUST RUNNING WITH THEIR INJURIES THE ONES THAT WERE WILLING TO RECEIVE HELP YOU KNOW PROBABLY HAD FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY TOOK OUR HELP AT ANY RATE WHAT HAPPENED AT THIS TIME WAS WE WERE TRYING LIEUTENANT DAVILA SAID THAT OUR 01 CHARLIE WHICH WAS OUR UNIT THAT MY PARTNER AND MYSELF WERE STAGING OFFICERS AND THAT WE WERE TO FOCUS SOLELY ON THAT AND NOT TO GET SIDETRACKED BY OTHER THINGS SO WE DID THAT OUR DUTIES SEPARATELY WERE TO TRY TO HELP GET THE PEOPLE IN AMBULANCES AND OUT OF THERE AND TO TRY TO GET THE ONES THAT WERE HAD INJURIES THAT WERE NOT SO LIFE THREATENING TO GET THEM OUT OF THE BOROUGH SO THAT THEY DONT INUNDATE HOSPITALS AND TO DO THE BEST CAN IN NAM WHAT AMBULANC WENT WHERE AND SO FORTH AND SO ON AROUND THAT TIME DIDNT AT THE TIME

REALIZE IT BUT FROM WHERE WE WERE AT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ON THE WEST SIDE HIGHWAY AREA THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND LOT OF DEBRIS STARTED COMING DOWN APPARENTLY THAT WAS THE SECOND PLANE THAT HIT WE LOST ALL OF OUR PATIENTS IN TERMS OF THEM RUNNING AWAY THEY THE NOISE AND THE DEBRIS SCARED THEM ALL AWAY AND THEY RAN OFF WE DIDNT HAVE ANY LEFT WE WENT INTO OUR VEHICLE AND LIEUTENANT DAVILA WENT INTO THE COMMAND VEHICLE AND WE STARTED PROCEEDINQ TOWARDS THE DIRECTION OF LIBERTY IN OUR AMBULANCE AND THERE WAS TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DEBRIS COMING DOWN IN THAT AREA WE JUST TOOK TURN UP LIBERTY THIS WAY TO DO TURN BECAUSE THIS WAS LIKE DESTROYED OKAY TOWARDS THE HUDSON RIGHT SO LOT OF THINGS WERE RAINING DOWN WE KNEW WE HAD TO GET OUT OF THERE WE TURNED AROUND AND WE WENT BACK ON THE WEST SIDE HIGHWAY MADE RIGHT TURN ON VESEY AND THEN MADE RIGHT TURN ON FULTON AND CHURCH AND WE WERE AT THE MILLENNIUM HOTEL AREA ONCE AGAIN THERE WE WERE UNDER WE HAD MORE RESOURCES MORE EMERGENCY MEDICAL COMMAND RESOURCES ARRIVED AND WE

WERE STILL FUNCTIONING AS STAGING OFFICERS AS LIEUTENANT DAVILA DIRECTED US TO BE AND IT SEEMED LIKE THAT WAS GOING VERY SUCCESSFULLY IN TERMS OF EVACUATING PEOPLE OUT OF THERE IN FRONT OF THE MILLENNIUM HOTEL THAT BECAME TRIAGE AREA IT WAS EFFECTIVE IT WAS PEOPLE WERE TAGGED IT SEEMED VERY ORGANIZED IT WAS GOOD BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MANY PEOPLE SO MANY PEOPLE COMING OUT OF THERE AND SOME OF THEM WERENT ABLE TO AMBULATE SO THEY WERE BEING CARRIED OUT SO FORTH AND SO ON SO WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST IN THAT WAY SO ASSISTED NUMEROUS TIMES HELPINQ PEOPLE LIKE TAKING THEM FROM CIVILIANS SO FORTH AND SO ON DID WHAT WAS INSTRUCTED TO DO IN TERMS OF TRYING TO GET PEOPLE THAT WERE AT LEAST THE LEAST AMOUNT OF INJURIES OUT OF THE BOROUGH WE HAD NUMBER OF AMBULANCES AND WE TRIED AS BEST WE COULD TO PUT AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT CAUSING ANY KIND OF DANGER TO THEM OR ANYONE ELSE SO WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN TRYING TO GET MAXIMUM OF PATIENTS PER AMBULANCE THE MORE SEVERE CASES YOU KNOW LIKE THE BURNS THE THIRD DEGREE BURNS AND SO FORTH THAT WENT TO TRI PATI THAT KIND THAT CONDITION TOGETHER OR IF THEY WERENT BURNS AT LEAST SOMETHING THAT WAS THAT NEEDED TRAUMA CENTER

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WE DID THAT ONLY HAD LITTLE CONFUSING TIME WHEN HAD CERTAIN YOU KNOW HAD MY INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO ME FROM LIEUTENANT DAVILA BUT THERE WERE AT TIMES WAS SIDETRACKED BY VARIOUS CAPTAINS THAT WERE TRYING TO GIVE ME DIFFERENT ORDERS THAT WERE FEW THINGS THAT KIND OF SIDETRACKED ME AND DIDNT THINK IT MADE ENTIRELY ENOUGH SENSE BUT TRIED THE BEST COULD TO OBEY IT BUT IT WAS VERY CRAZY THERE AT THE TIME LIKE ONE OF THEM WANTED ME TO QET EVERY SINQLE PATIENTS NAME AND IT JUST WAS NOT POSSIBLE THERE WAS SO MUCH SCREAMING AND IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THE WORST QUESTION TO ASK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AMBULANCE WHILE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING AND SCREAMING IT JUST DIDNT WORK OUT THAT WAY DID MY BEST YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF THAT BUT YOU KNOW JUST CONTINUED TO DO AND KEEP MY FOCUS AS LIEUTENANT DAVILA TOLD ME TO DO JUST TO FOCUS ON WHAT WAS DOING BECAUSE KNOW THAT IF STARTED ACC GETTING SIDETRACKED THEN NOTHING WAS GOING TO THATS WHY JUST STAY STUCK WITH WHAT WAS DOING SO THEN ACTUALLY RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME WHEN

HAD THAT LITTLE CONFUSION IN MY MIND BECAUSE WAS TOLD TO DO SOMETHING THAT JUST DIDNT SEEM TO IT JUST SEEMED LIKE CERTAIN BRASS IN MY MIND WAS LIKE MAYBE THEY JUST HAD LIKE THEY REALLY DIDNT HAVE MUCH STREET TIME OR SOMETHING IF YOU DONT MIND ME SAYING THAT THEY WERE LIKE IN AN OFFICE SO MUCH AND THEN THEY ARE ASKING ME WITH THEIR AUTHORITY TO DO SOMETHING THATS NOT GOING TO BE PRODUCTIVE BUT CANT QUESTION IT BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT MEAN YES SO WAS IN THAT LITTLE QUANDARY AT THE TIME BECAUSE IM SAYING WELL HOW IM TRYING TO GET THE NAMES BUT THE PERSON IS SCREAMING IN AGONY AND THEY WANT TO GET THEM OUT OF THERE THEN ANOTHER PERSON IS SCREAMING CANT EVEN HEAR THEM YOU KNOW IM TRYING TO COMPLY WITH THIS YOU KNOW BUT WHAT WAS MOSTLY MORE IMPORTANT WAS EVACUATING THEM GETTING THEM TREATED AND TRANSPORTED OUT OF THERE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH DIDNT AND DIDNT THINK THAT ANYBODY THOUGHT THAT THE BUILDINGS WERE GOING TO COLLAPSE WE KNEW IT WAS NOT SAFE SCENE THERE WAS DEBRIS THERE WAS ALL KINDS THINGS THAT HAPP WE KNEW WE WERENT NECESSARILY IN THE HOT ZONE BUT WE WERE IN THE WRONG ZONE SO THE RISKS

10 INCREASE SO WE JUST WANTED TO YOU KNOW RATHER THAN DELIBERATE TOO MUCH ON ONE THING LIKE THAT BUT ANYWAY AT ANY RATE AT THAT TIME HEARD RUMBLE YOU KNOW AND THEN IT WAS YOU KNOW REALLY LIKE ALMOST LIKE AN EARTHQUAKE THEN WHAT HAPPENED WAS HEARD PEOPLE SCREAMING AND RUNNING AND THEN IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE GOING TO IT WAS LIKE GOING TO BE TRAMPLING IT WAS JUST LIKE BEDLAM OF THE PATIENTS THAT WE HAD THAT HAD ANY ABILITY TO AMBULATE OR MAYBE DIDNT THINK THEY DID HAD THEN HAD THE ABILITY TO FOUND IT THEN STARTED TO RUN FOR SAFETY TOO BECAUSE LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT THE BUILDING WAS GOING TO COME DOWN WE WERE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM IT YOU KNOW SO AT FIRST THERE WAS SO MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO TRAMPLE ME THAT WENT BY THE MILLENNIUM HOTEL THERE IS LIKE DRIVEWAY WITH ONE OF THOSE AUTOMATIC LIFTING GATES STEEL GATES THAT ROLL UP KN TRYING WENT THERE THERE WAS COP THERE HE WAS AND WAS ABOVE HIM AND SAID THERE IS NO SECURITY HERE THERE IS NO PLACE TO GO YOU KNOW WAS UNDER TRUCK FOR

11 SECOND OR TWO BECAUSE WELL DUCKED DOWN YOU KNOW BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MANY PEOPLE AND THERE WAS THEY WERE JUST GOING TO ROLL YOU KNOW TROD ME SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS SUDDENLY WAS NEAR THAT GARAGE AREA THE SKY AS IT BLACKS OUT AND THEN ALL OF SUDDEN IT JUST CAME DOWN THERE WAS NO PLACE TO GO THERE WAS NOTHING YOU COULD DO YOU WERE JUST THOROUGHLY OVERCOME BY THE PARTICULATE MATTER IT JUST WENT TOTALLY BLACK YOU NO LONGER HEARD ANYTHING IT WAS LIKE YOUR FINGERS WERE IN YOUR EAR EVERYTHINQ WAS JUST NUMBED OUT THERE WAS SO MUCH PARTICULATE MATTER THAT IT COVERED EVERY ORIFICE YOU COULDNT TAKE BREATH IN YOU COULDNT SEE YOU COULDN ANYTHING WAS JUST KIND OF LIKE PUTTING MY HAND OUT AND DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHERE DIDNT KNOW EXACTLY WHICH DIRECTION WAS FACING ANY MORE DIDNT KNOW IF WAS KNEW THAT WAS ON KNEW THAT WAS ON FULTON STREET JUST OFF OF CHURCH BECAUSE RAN UP TO LIKE HERE RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE MILLENNIUM HOTEL ACROSS THE STREET FROM ST PAULS CEMETERY BUT DIDNT KN IF WAS FACING TH DIDNT KNOW IF WAS FACING THE MILLENNIUM HOTEL DIDNT KNOW IF WAS FACING CHURCH DIDNT KNOW IF WAS

12 FACING BROADWAY WAS TOTALLY BLIND AND DISCOORDINATED IN THAT AND COULDNT HEAR ANYTHING MORE IMPORTANTLY COULDNT BREATHE AT ALL WAS KIND OF PANICKY ABOUT THAT THEN THOUGHT MAYBE IF DUG HOLE IN THE CEMETERY AND PUT MY HEAD IN IT OR SOMETHING OR IF DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO DO WAS VERY SCARED BECAUSE KNEW WAS GOING TO DIE AT THAT POINT THERE WAS NOTHING YOU KNOW THOUGHT AND HAD SOME THOUGHTS LIKE THOUGHT WELL WHAT IF THIS IS BIOLOGICAL NOW OR RATHER CHEMICAL WHAT IF THIS IS BOMB ACTUALLY THAT WENT OFF AFTER THE PLANE CRASHED AND NOW MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING CHEMICAL THEN SAID WELL MAYBE THE HEAT WOULD HAVE DESTROYED IT BUT THAT WAS REAL QUICK THOUGHTS BUT IT NEVER REALLY STAYED WITH ME BECAUSE WAS PANICKING WAS STARTING TO PANIC AND DIDNT WANT TO PANIC BECAUSE FIGURED THEN WOULDNT HAVE CHANCE BUT THEN THOUGHT DIDNT HAVE CHANCE ANYWAY BECAUSE THERE WAS THIS PARTICULATE MATTER THAT WAS JUST CAUSING TOTAL BLACKNESS AND YOU COULDNT EVEN USE ANY OF YOUR SENSES OR BREATHE WASNT GOING TO SETTLE WASNT GOING QUICK CATCH BR KIND OF LIKE REALIZED THAT THAT WAS THE SITUATION BUT IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO ACCEPT IT ENTIRELY

13 SO KIND OF LIKE WAS FEELING AROUND ME AND WAS USING MY RADIO AND WAS BANGING AROUND AND WAS BANGING AROUND KNEW WHEN TOUCHED SOLID MATERIAL BUT BECAUSE THE PARTICULATE MATTER WAS SO THICK DIDNT KNOW WHAT THE MATTER WAS DIDNT KNOW IF IT WAS CONCRETE WOOD OR WHAT BUT WHAT DID DO AND HIT IT WITH MY RADIO WAS HEARD GLASS CRACK SO PUT MY HAND INSIDE AND THEN PUT MY HEAD IN AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE VAN WHICH DIDNT KNOW FULLY AT THE TIME BUT FIGURED IT WAS VEHICLE OF SOME KIND BECAUSE FELT CHAIR AND STUFF LIKE THAT SO PUT MY HEAD AND HALF MY BODY AND KIND OF WENT IN AND MY HEAD WAS DOWN AT THE BOTTOM AND WAS HAD IT COVERED WITH MY JACKET BUT STILL THE PARTICULATE MATTER WAS SO DENSE AND THE PRESSURE AS SOON AS THE WINDOW WAS OPEN IT PUSHED IT IN BUT IT GAVE ME ENOUGH WHERE JUST CALMED MYSELF AND JUST TOLD MYSELF TO JUST DONT BE GREEDY AND TAKE SHORT BREATHS WAS UNDER THERE AND WAS JUST TAKING SHORT BREATHS SHORT BREATHS AND CALM DOWN SO YOU DONT REQUIRE SO MUCH IT WAS HARD TO DO THAT THOUGH BUT TRIED MY KN IT WORKED THE PARTICULATE MATTER WAS SETTLING LITTLE BIT MEAN IT WAS LIKE FOG AND

14 STARTED GETTING OUT OF THERE CAME OUT WAS HALF IN THE VEHICLE CAME OUT OF IT AND COULD SEE NOW THAT IT WAS VAN AND COULD SEE BROADWAY BUT EVERYTHING WAS LIKE DENSE FOG BUT COULD KNOW THAT THATS WHERE WAS KNEW THE HOSPITAL WAS DOWN COUPLE BLOCKS DOWN FROM THERE SO STARTED IN THAT DIRECTION STILL COULDNT BREATHE WELL YOU KNOW BECAUSE THE PARTICULATE MATTER WAS STILL THERE BUT COULD SEE AND COULD TAKE SHORT BREATHS AND WOULD COUQH LOT AND STUFF LIKE THAT BUT TRIED MY BEST AND IT DID WORK AND GOT TO THE HOSPITAL THEY GAVE ME OXYGEN WHERE WAS STANDING AND THEN THEY CLEANED ME UP IN THE SINK THEY PUT MY HEAD IN THERE AND THEY TOOK PULSE OX OF ME WHILE WAS STANDING AND STUFF AND YOU KNOW CLEANED MY FACE BECAUSE IT ALL CAKED AND STUFF LIKE THAT THEN AFTER THAT IT WAS JUST FEW MINUTES WENT BY AND TOLD THEM IM DONE AND HAVE TO GO BACK THEY TOLD ME TO STAY AND SAID NO TOLD THEM WAS FINE BUT WANTED TO GO BACK BECAUSE FELT LIKE MIGHT HAV ABAND MY MY PARTN TH AND THAT WAS WHERE BELONGED SO STARTED GOING BACK YOU KNOW AND WAS COUGHING AND HACKING LOT

15 BUT IT DIDNT MATTER BECAUSE FELT LOT BETTER WAS JUST YOU KNOW GETTING IT OUT SO WENT BACK AND WHEN GOT BACK SAW ON BROADWAY SOME OF US WERE THERE SAW MEN WITH LIEUTENANT DAVILA HE WAS GETTING JUMPED ON ME AND HUGGING ME AND CRYING AND EVERYTHING SO ASKED HIM WHERE MY PARTNER WAS WHERE ERIC IS AND THEY DIDNT KNOW YOU KNOW SO WENT BACK AND THAT WAS ON WHERE MET THEM WAS ON FULTON STREET AND BROADWAY RIGHT HERE SO JUST WENT BACK HERE WHERE WAS AND SAW THAT IT WAS IT HAD COLLAPSED THE NORTH TOWER HAD COLLAPSED MY AMBULANCE WAS RIGHT OVER THERE IT WAS IN FLAMES AND MET FIREFIGHTER THERE ALEX SANTORO AND THIS POLICE OFFICER DONT REMEMBER HIS NAME AND THE THREE OF US WERE YOU KNOW WE HAD GONE THROUGH IT DIDNT KNOW THEY DID THEY DIDNT KNOW DID WE WANTED TO TRY TO FIND OUR PEOPLE SAID WHERE IS MY PARTNER AND THE COP SAID DONT KNOW WHERE MY PARTNER IS AND STUFF LIKE THAT SO WE DECIDED TO STICK TOGETHER RATHER THAN AND TRY WH FIND ANYB KNOW IN THIS MESS ESPECIALLY OUR PEOPLE SO THATS WHAT WE DID THEN WE WERE LIKE RIGHT AROUND HERE ON

16 DEY STREET LIKE RIGHT HERE DEY AND CHURCH RIGHT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SOUTH TOWER AND THEN THE SOUTH TOWER WE HEARD RUMBLE AND WE DIDNT EVEN LOOK WE RAN OKAY WE RAN TELL YOU MY LEGS WERE SORE FOR THREE DAYS AFTER THAT JUST THAT JOG THAT TOOK WE RAN FROM HERE WHICH IS ON CHURCH STREET AND DEY OKAY RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET WAS WHERE THE SOUTH TOWER WAS SO WE WERE ON ON CHURCH AND DEY STREET RIQHT HERE RIQHT ACROSS THE STREET AQAIN FROM THE WORLD TRADE AND WHEN WE HEARD THAT RUMBLE WE DIDNT EVEN LOOK IT WAS LIKE INSTINCT THE THREE OF US WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT EACH OTHER JUST THE BEGINNINGS OF THAT RUMBLE WE JUST SPRINTED OUT OF THERE AND WE ACTUALLY MADE IT UP DEY STREET WE CROSSED BROADWAY AND THERE WAS RIGHT IN HERE LITTLE CHOCOLATE CANDY STORE OKAY NOW THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN BEAT THAT THING WHEN IT COLLAPSES THERE IS NO WAY AT ALL THAT CAN TELL YOU SO WHEN WE HEARD THAT RUMBLE THAT THING CAME DOWN AND THE WHOLE THING WENT BLACK THE INT THAT CANDY ST WE SLAMMED THE DOOR AND AS WE SLAMMED THE DOOR ALL OF THE PARTICULATE MATTER WITH THE PRESSURE

17 THAT IT HAD WAS BILLOWING INSIDE THAT CHOCOLATE STORE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO OVERCOME US YOU KNOW AND WE WERE IN THERE WE DIDNT KNOW AT THIS POINT THERE WAS RADIO GOING ON AT THIS TIME REMEMBER IT SAYING THE PALESTINIANS ARE TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DONT KNOW HOW ACCURATE AT THAT TIME THAT WAS BUT IT CAME OFF OF THAT AN RADIO SO WE WERE KIND OF LIKE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND MEAN WE DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF IT WE THOUGHT THAT MAYBE WE WERE AT WAR DEFINITELY WE WERE AT WAR YOU KNOW THOUQHT WE WERE AT WAR BECAUSE DIDNT THINK THAT THE PLANE TO MY KNOWLEDGE FROM WHAT UNDERSTOOD THAT THE PLANE WAS ENOUGH TO DO THAT YOU KNOW THOUGHT WE WERE AT WAR DIDNT KNOW IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANY CHEMICAL STUFF BEING USED DIDNT HAVE ANY FELT ILL EQUIPPED IN THAT RESPECT DIDNT FEEL THAT HAD ANYTHING TO PROTECT ME WITH RESPECT TO THAT WE JUST DECIDED THAT WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO WAS WE REAFFIRMED THE FACT THAT WE WERE GOING TO STICK TH THR US DIDNT KN WHAT WAS GOING ON WE DIDNT KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO GET OUT OF THERE WE DIDNT KNOW THAT NECESSARILY THE

18 WORLD TRADE CENTER WAS FULLY COLLAPSED OR IF IT WAS GOING TO COLLAPSE IN THE FASHION THAT WE NOW KNOW IT DID BECAUSE THERE WAS AN INAUDIBLE OPEN MIGHT HAVE FALLEN OVER TOPPLED IT WAS TALL ENOUGH TO CRUSH WHERE WE WERE AT WITHOUT DOUBT SO WE WERE SAFE FROM THE PARTICULATE MATTER BUT WE DIDNT FEEL SAFE IN TERMS OF US GOING TO GET CRUSHED WE PUT THAT ASIDE AND ALEX SANTORO THE FIREFIQHTER HE SAID WELL ALEX LETS JUST START SAVING UP WATER BECAUSE THE WATER MAIN IS GOING TO GO PROBABLY MORE THAN LIKELY BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION THEY MAY SHUT THEM DOWN SO STARTED TO BECAUSE IT WAS CANDY STORE THE OLD CHOCOLATE BIG CHOCOLATE YOU KNOW AND IT HAD THESE BIG GLASS JARS STARTED EMPTYING THEM OUT THE CHOCOLATES PUT IN PILE BECAUSE WE MIGHT USE THAT AS FOOD TOO TAKE THE CANISTER AND CLEAN IT OUT AND START FILLING IT WITH WATER AND THEN THE OTHER ALEX THE FIREFIGHTER HE WOULD SEAL IT WITH PLASTIC TH THATS WHAT BECAUSE WE DIDNT KNOW HOW LONG WE WOULD BE THERE LA LA LA SO THATS WHAT WE DID

19 WE DID THAT FOR WHILE SEEMED LIKE WHILE GOT THIS HAD CELLPHONE THEN THAT HAD JUST GOT LIKE TWO DAYS BEFORE THOUGHT WELL LET ME SEE IF CAN CALL SOMEBODY AND SEE IF ANYBODY IS AROUND IF ITS MORE EXTENSIVE THAN WE THINK IF COULD GIVE MESSAGE TO MY MOTHER OR MY FAMILY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULDNT GET THROUGH TRIED FEW NUMBERS ONE OF THEM ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH IT WAS AN ANSWERING MACHINE AND LEFT MESSAGE ON THE ANSWERING MACHINE YOU KNOW IT WAS FRIENDS FRIEND THAT REALLY DIDNT KNOW TOO WELL BUT LEFT MESSAGE YOU KNOW THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT KIND OF THING AS IF IN FACT THEY WERENT GOING TO BE AFFECTED BY IT SO DID THAT THEN AFTERWARDS THE COP WAS SAYING STAY AWAY FROM THE DOORS BECAUSE IF THERE IS ANY FRANTIC POLICE OFFICERS OUT THERE THEYLL USE THEIR GUNS SO REMEMBER THAT THEN THINK THERE WAS ALSO SOME CIVILIANS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET INSIDE THAT WERE YOU KNOW STRAGGLING ONE OR TWO OF THEM COULDNT BREATHE OUT THERE AND WE WANTED TO GET THEM IN BUT WE HAD IT QUICK TH MINUT THAT DOOR THE WHOLE THING WOULD GET FILLED FLOODED SO ANYWAY WE DID THAT FOR WHILE AND THEN

20 AS THE THING STARTED TO SETTLE OUTSIDE LOOKED FOGGIER INSTEAD OF BLACK SO WE ALL DECIDED LETS GO OUT AND LETS GO FIND SURVIVORS YOU KNOW SO THATS WHAT WE DID WE STARTED ON LETS SEE WHERE DID WE GO DONT THINK YES WE WERE ON JOHN BUT DID WE GO DOWN JOHN YES WE WENT DOWN JOHN STREET AND EVERY BUILDING SIDE TO SIDE WE WOULD GO TO WE TRIED TO GET IN AND SEE IF THERE WERE ANY SURVIVORS AND WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE QUITE FEW BUILDINGS WHERE PEOPLE WERE HIDING IN THE BASEMENTS WE ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD WATER OR ACCESS TO WATER ME AND ALEX WE GOT BIG PIPES THAT WE HAD USED THAT IF WE NEEDED TO BREAK INTO STORAGE TO GET WATER OR FOOD OR AT LEAST HAVE ACCESS TO SO THEY COULD GET TO IT BECAUSE AT THIS POINT WHERE WE ARE AT IT WAS SUCH DESTRUCTION AND WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WAS SO HORRIFIC WE DIDNT KNOW THAT WE WERE AT WAR AND IT WAS MORE PROLIFIC WE CERTAINLY WERE ACTING IN WAY THAT THINK WAS SOUND AND ALEX LED US IN THAT RESPECT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SURVIVORS YOU KNOW HAD WATER AND SO FORTH AND SO ON THATS WHAT DID FR BUILDING BUILDING GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN JOHN STREET AS WE WENT DOWN JOHN STREET AT SOME POINT WE REACHED WATER

21 STREET AT WATER STREET THINGS STARTED TO LOOK LESS HORRIFIC AND THERE WAS MORE PEOPLE YOU KNOW EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND THERE WAS CHIEF VLICHARZ HE IS BATTALION CHIEF AT ENGINE ON DUANE AND BROADWAY OUR AREA WHERE CHARLEY IS FROM HE SAID TO ME HE KNEW ME AND HE SAID TO ME THAT SHOULD GO RIGHT AWAY TO ENGINE WHICH IS ON SOUTH STREET AND OLD SLIP THATS ABOUT OR BLOCKS FROM WHERE MET HIM AND TO GO REGISTER THERE BECAUSE IM MISSING AND PRESUMED DEAD HE SAID GO OVER THERE AND REQISTER THERE SO THEY KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALL RIGHT OKAY THEN HE AFTER THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO WITH FIREFIGHTER AND WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO BACK TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND HELP GET PEOPLE OUT OF THERE YOU KNOW SO WENT TO THE FIRE HOUSE MY RADIO WASNT WORKING ALL THIS TIME BY THE WAY SO WENT TO THE FIRE HOUSE REGISTERED OVER THERE IN THE LOGBOOK AND THE CAPTAIN IS THERE AND HE ASKED MY NAME VERBALLY AGAIN AND SO FORTH OKAY DONT WORRY ABOUT IT HE SAYS OKAY NOW GO BACK TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND SO WASNT ENTIRELY SURE WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO BECAUSE DIDNT KNOW DIDNT SEE ANYBODY

22 FROM MY UNIT DIDNT SEE ANYBODY THAT WAS SAW CHIEF VLICHARZ DIDNT KNOW WHERE EVERYBODY ELSE WAS IT JUST SEEMED NATURAL THING WAS TO JUST FOLLOW DIRECTION FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL YOU KNOW AND THEY COULDNT TELL ME WHERE EMS WAS AT THE TIME IT WAS TOO CRAZY AT THE TIME AND EVERYBODY WAS ABSORBED IN THEIR DUTIES WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE SO STARTED SIGNING IN AND TALKING TO THE CAPTAIN AS SAY THEN MY RADIO WAS WORKING HEARD COMMAND CENTER AT THE FERRY TERMINAL WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE IM TOUCHINQ THE RADIO YOU KNOW TRYINQ TO HEAR BETTER AND PUTTING IT LOUDER AND STUFF LIKE THAT SO TOLD THE CAPTAIN LISTEN IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE COMMAND CENTER AT SOUTH STREET FERRY TERMINAL WHICH IS NOT FAR THE CHIEF DIRECTED ME TO GO TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER WITH HIM IS IT ALL RIGHT IF IM RELIEVED OF THAT SO CAN GO AND SEEK OUT YOU KNOW MY COMMAND HE SAYS YES GO AHEAD SO WENT AND WENT TO THE FERRY TERMINAL MET UP THERE WAS COUPLE OF CHIEFS OUT THERE THEY JUST TOLD ME TO DIRECT TO HELP DIRECT CIVILIANS THAT VACUAT AT THIS BELIEVE THE CITY WAS MAYOR HAD MADE DIRECTIVE TO THAT EFFECT BELIEVE

23 WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO IS DIRECT THEM TO SO WAS DIRECTING THEM INTO VARIOUS FERRIES THEY HAD FERRIES GOING TO BROOKLYN THEY HAD FERRIES GOING TO STATEN ISLAND FERRIES GOING TO NEW JERSEY AND SO FORTH AND WAS HELPING DIRECT THEM DID THAT FOR NUMBER OF HOURS JUST GETTING THEM YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING SO ASSISTED IN THAT AFTER HOURS OF DOING THAT IT BECAME NIGHT FALL AND WAS UPSTAIRS HELPING THEM IN THE TRIAGE AREA THEN GUESS AFTER WAS ALMOST THERE FOR 16 HOURS THEN THERE REALLY WASNT ANYBODY LEFT IN TERMS OF VICTIMS IT JUST SEEMED LIKE AT THAT POINT WE WERE SAYING THAT WELL IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE EITHER DEAD OR YOU ARE WALKING WOUNDED KIND OF THING SO WAS TOLD BY SUPERVISOR THAT SINCE LIVE IN STATEN ISLAND JUST BOAT RIDE AWAY JUST GO HOME REFRESH YOURSELF AND COME BACK IN THE MORNING THATS WHAT DID WENT HOME AFTER 16 HOURS TRIED TO SLEEP COULDNT SLEEP ACTUALLY CAME BACK HOURS LATER BECAUSE WAS VERY HYPERSENSITIVE TO SOUNDS

24 THEY DISSIPATED OVER TIME BASICALLY THATS THE STORY DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE WHEN YOU SAW THE FIRST PLANE GO IN DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT STREETS YOU WERE ON WHEN YOU SAW YES SAW EXACTLY WHERE WAS IN MY MIND BUT IM TRYING TO TELL YOU THE NAME OF IT IT IS OFF THE MAP YES ITS RIQHT IN THIS WHITE AREA BUT WILL TELL YOU IT WAS CITY HALL PARK LIKE RIGHT AROUND WOULD CALL IT RIGHT BY THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE AND PEARL STREET OKAY RIGHT AROUND THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE AND PEARL STREET YOU GOT VIEW OF IT ITS LIKE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU IM SITTING AT THE LIGHT AND HE IS TALKING TO ME AND IM SAYING RIGHT RIGHT WO LOOK AT THAT ITS GOING TO HIT ITS GOING TO HIT AND THATS WHEN IT HIT WH FIRST CAM INT FULT AND CHURCH COMING DOWN FULTON FROM DOWN CHURCH NO CAME WHAT DID WAS LETS SEE

25 PEARL WENT DOWN SORRY WENT DOWN BY THE BROOKLYN WHERE IS THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE HERE BROOKLYN BRIDGE WOULD BE UP ABOUT HERE REALLY LETS SEE THIS IS THE TOP EDGE AT ANY RATE WILL JUST SAY THIS CAME FROM FULTON STREET WENT FROM FULTON STREET FROM WHERE THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE WOULD BE HERE WENT DOWN LIKE THIS AND WENT DOWN LIKE THAT THATS HOW DID IT THATS WESTBOUND ON FULTON RIGHT ALL RIGHT IS THIS WESTBOUND YES YOU ARE RIGHT FORGIVE ME YES THIS IS WESTBOUND PUT NUMBER THERE THIS IS YOUR FIRST STOP RIGHT WAS ACTUALLY PARKED RIGHT INSIDE HERE INSIDE OF FULTON STREET RIGHT OVER HERE WE WERE PARKED RIGHT HERE THEN WE MOVED IT OVER HERE PIGHT WH AR IN FR WORLD TRADE CENTER IT WAS YOU BOY THINK IT WAS YOU SAID ADAM

26 NO BOY CAME HERE DID THEY FOLLOW YOU AROUND TO DONT RECALL DONT RECALL SUSPECT BUT CANT SAY FOR SURE KIND OF WAS LIKE WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE LIEUTENANT AT THAT POINT AND THINK MOST OF THE DONT RECALL SEEING THEM BUT DONT RECALL SORRY NO PROBLEM WHEN YOU CAME AROUND TO WEST SIDE HIGHWAY DO YOU RECALL ASIDE FROM THE LIEUTENANT ANY OTHER EMS UNITS THERE WELL YES THERE WAS COUPLE OF PARAMEDIC UNITS THAT CAME FROM HOSPITAL VOLLIES RECALL COUPLE OF FIRE DEPARTMENT UNITS THERE DONT REMEMBER THEIR DESIGNATIONS THERE WAS LIEUTENANT DAVILA AND THERE WAS CHIEF THAT CAME AND THERE WAS SOME LIEUTENANTS CHIEF OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THERE YOU KNOW THAT CAME THAT WERE IN THAT AREA WITH US WE HAD OUR PATIENTS RIGHT OVER HERE HERE RIGHT WE WERE SITTING DOWN LIKE OVER HERE YOU DONT SEE IT IN THIS PICTURE BUT OVER HERE THERE IS LIK BIG WALL THAT FR TRAD YOU KNOW RIGHT

27 LIKE THAT YES IT WAS VERY PROTECTED BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE AN OVERHANG SO NOTHING COULD AFFECT ANYBODY FROM THAT FROM THAT YOU KNOW FROM THAT NO ONE THOUGHT THE BUILDING WAS GOING TO COME DOWN THATS THE WHOLE THING THATS WHEN IT CAUGHT EVERYBODY IN SURPRISE IVE HEARD PEOPLE ARGUE ALL DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE LIKE THINK WE DID VERY WELL IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WERE TRAINED TO DO THINK IT WORKED VERY WELL WITH WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS WERE BECAUSE IF WE KNEW THE BUILDING WAS GOING TO COLLAPSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE QUARTER MILE AWAY FROM THAT PLACE BECAUSE THAT BUILDING WAS GOING ABOUT QUARTER MILE HIGH SO HOW FAR COULD YOU HAVE BEEN YOU STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN IN DANGER YOU KNOW SO AND ITS PART OF OUR JOB WE DONT WANT TO BE INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST PEOPLE BUT WE ARE IN THE WARM ZONE AND THERE IS CERTAIN RISK INVOLVED THATS PART OF THE JOB BUT THINK THAT ACT WITH DU IN SOBER FASHION IM VERY HAPPY THERE IS LOT TO LEARN IM SURE AND YOU GUYS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO

28 BRING THAT OUT BUT THINK THAT EVERYTHING IM GLAD THAT LIEUTENANT DAVILA WAS THERE AND THE OTHERS THAT LED US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION YOU KNOW SO THATS IT MR RADENBERG OKAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH TIME IS NOW 0711 HOURS THE INTERVIEW IS CONCLUDED