ASSEMBLIES OF GOD
Firefighter Recalls Emotions of Working Ground Zero
I had written notes to my three daughters, stopped by my wife’s job and gave her a hug and a kiss that seemed to last forever and then headed to the train station.
As we boarded the empty baggage car, we were not exactly sure what we were heading for—all we knew was that our brothers and sisters needed help. So, like all emergency responders, we responded!
It was September 12, 2001, so at about 4:00 p.m., 14 members of the Buffalo Fire Department responded to the greatest homeland tragedy since Pearl Harbor. The train we took was the first train back into NYC after rail service had been suspended; in fact, all traffic into NYC had been suspended until further notice.
It was an eight-hour ride, so we sat pondering what we would encounter. Unbeknownst to us, word had traveled to the passenger compartments that there was a group of firefighters heading to Ground Zero.
That's when it people began to come to the baggage car with pictures of their loved ones from NYC. They asked us to help locate them. They told us their stories—who they were, where they worked, and where they were at the time of the attack. It went on for the entire 8 hours—different people coming back with pictures, with stories, with tears.
As the train unloaded at Penn Station, we grabbed our gear, told those passengers who prayed with and for us that we would do our best to find their loved ones. Next, we began walking to Ground Zero. About halfway there, a captain from the NYC Fire Department saw us and came running. He said he had lost his whole crew. He couldn't stay there anymore. He had to walk away. He had taken the day off, and now, “Well, just be safe,” he told us.
At that point, a Police Department flatbed truck pulled up, and we jumped on and began the drive to Ground Zero. The truck stopped a block away because the road was too covered with debris. We climbed off and headed in.
The numbers from that day are staggering.
- People killed in the attack on New York, in the Twin Towers and in aircraft that crashed into them: 2,823
- Firefighters and paramedics killed: 343
- NYPD officers killed: 23
- Port Authority police officers killed: 37
- World Trade Center companies that lost people: 128
- Employees who died in Tower One: 1,402
- Employees who died in Tower Two: 614
- Days searching for body parts at Ground Zero: 230
- Body parts collected: 19,500
- Intact bodies discovered: 291
- Victims identified by the NY medical examiner: 1,102
- Death certificates without a body requested by families: 1,616
- People still classified as missing from the WTC: 105
- Orphans created by the 9/11 attacks: 1,300
- Babies born to women whose husbands died on September 11: 17
- Estimated minimum number of New Yorkers suffering from PTSD: 422,000
- Estimated number of the NYC school kids suffering from PTSD: 10,000
We never left the debris and worked nonstop through the next five days. I remember many times looking up as we dug through the rubble. The cloud of dust and death that hung in the air was so thick, you couldn't tell if it was midnight or noon. Small fires burned here and there, and amid the smoke and flames, we worked. Volunteers put up places where you could get something to eat or drink, maybe sit for a few minutes before you went back to searching for any signs of life...or signs of death.
Rescue dogs and cadaver dogs were brought to the scene on a few occasions. The rescue dogs became depressed because they couldn't find anyone alive. Their trainers would have people hide so the dogs could “find” someone alive. I remember seeing one cadaver dog. As he was let out of the vehicle, he began to "spot/mark" everywhere. It was overwhelming for him, so they had to put him back in the truck. The smell of death was everywhere, and yet firefighters kept working, kept digging, kept hoping to find someone alive.
I share this not for any glory or fame. I share this to remember—to remember those killed in the attacks, those whose lives will never be the same, and that somehow America will get through it.
I am reminded of King David's 23rd Psalm. Probably, the 23rd Psalm was written while David was at Mahanaim, wondering how the battle was going between his forces and those of his son, Absalom, during the civil war caused by Absalom's rebellion. Of course, David was grief-stricken and heartbroken. It may have been the darkest hour of his life, and this is perhaps where he penned the beautiful words, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Psalm 23 (NASB)
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
During my time on the Buffalo Fire Department, I wore a uniform, and on the shoulder of that uniform was a patch. On the bottom were three Latin words: "Ut vivant alii." Those words translate to what thousands of men and women live out each day in responding to emergency situations—that others may live!
As I share those words, I can't help but think of the One who gave His life so that not just others may live, but that ALL may live. His name is Jesus Christ.
He is a man who responded to the ultimate emergency situation—taking the world’s sin upon Himself because mankind could never hope to pay for it.
Because of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice, we have the ultimate certainty. We can live forever with Him if we accept Him as Lord and Savior! It’s not too late to know Him. As far as you’ve walked away from Him, coming back to Him is just one simple step of repentance. You can pray these words to Him right now:
"Jesus, I believe you died for me and rose again. I believe you are the Savior and want to take away my sin. I am sorry for my sin and want to follow you forever. Please forgive me and become my Lord. I accept your forgiveness now, and I look forward to learning how to follow you the rest of my life. Amen."
Next, find a Christian church that believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior and get connected to that community. Congratulations on beginning your new life in Jesus!
Go to www.men.ag.org for FREE digital resources on following Jesus and engaging with a local church community.
