FE 9/11 Special Coverage

Fire Engineering‘s in-depth coverage of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the FDNY’s response, and the aftermath of 9/11 at Ground Zero. This is comprised of the articles from the September (Volume 155 Issue 9) and October 2022 (Volume 155 Issue 10) editions of the magazine.

The Latest

COLLAPSE LESSONS

COLLAPSE LESSONS

On July 28, 1945, a B-25 bomber accidentally struck the north face of the 79th floor of the Empire State Building, then the tallest building in the world. The plane ripped an 18-foot-wide 2 20-foot-high hole in the outer wall of the building.
Firefighting
LOGISTICS

LOGISTICS

During the first week after September 11, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) attempted to continue to operate as if the WTC response were a normal multiple-alarm fire, just on a larger scale. The FDNY command post was established under a tent in the middle of West and Vesey streets.
Firefighting
FOR THREE CLERGYMEN: THE ULTIMATE TEST OF FAITH

FOR THREE CLERGYMEN: THE ULTIMATE TEST OF FAITH

The Rev. John Delendick, the Rev. Brian Jordan, and the Rev. Everett Wabst were three of the clergymen who devoted their time and offered their faith to survivors of the worst terrorist attack in American history.
Firefighting
THE USE OF ROBOTS AS A SEARCH TOOL

THE USE OF ROBOTS AS A SEARCH TOOL

Lieutenant Colonel John Blitch (ret.), director of the Center for Robotic Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR), requested a team of robot experts and suppliers to assist in search efforts at the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster site. New York City's Office of Emergency Management requested CRASAR's response directly.
Firefighter ToolsFirefighting Equipment

More FE 9/11 Special Coverage

FEMA URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

FEMA URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

Terrorists' use of hijacked commercial aircraft as weapons of mass destruction and the simultaneous attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) complex in New York City (NYC) and the Pentagon complex in Arlington, Virginia, on the morning of September 11, 2001, triggered the most significant response in the history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue National Response System.
Aircraft Fire & RescueTechnical Rescue
THE PLANNING SECTOR

THE PLANNING SECTOR

At 0846 hours, seconds after the first plane hit the World Trade Center (WTC) and the transmission for multiple alarms, the incident command system (ICS) began to take shape. Over the next 13 minutes, command would pass from me, Battalion 1; to then-Deputy Chief Peter Hayden, Division 1; to Citywide Tour Commander Joseph Callan; and then to Chief of Department Peter Ganci.
Firefighting
LEARNING AND APPLYING THE LESSONS OF THE WTC DISASTER

LEARNING AND APPLYING THE LESSONS OF THE WTC DISASTER

As the scope of the World Trade Center (WTC) tragedy came into focus in the hours following the attacks, I wondered what happened to the towers. Why did they come down so quickly?
HazmatTechnical Rescue
APPARATUS CASUALTIES OF 9-11

APPARATUS CASUALTIES OF 9-11

The Fire Department of NEW York not only suffered a staggering loss of personnel on September 11 but also had its apparatus fleet severely impacted. A total of 91 apparatus and vehicles were destroyed, and approximately 130 more were damaged.
Fire Apparatus
SEARCHING THE RUINS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER

SEARCHING THE RUINS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER

The scope of rescue operations at the World Trade Center (WTC) was the most comprehensive of any that occurred in this country. The WTC incident was unique in that this was the first time ever that a steel-frame high-rise building had collapsed—anywhere in the world.
Firefighter TrainingSearch Operations
WTC: ANALYSIS OF FDNY’S RESPONSE AND PROPOSED REFORMS/CHANGES

WTC: ANALYSIS OF FDNY’S RESPONSE AND PROPOSED REFORMS/CHANGES

On September 11, 2001, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) endured an event simply unprecedented in its history. Forced to contend with a terrorist attack of profound proportions, the courageous, intrepid, and extraordinary men and women of FDNY put their own lives on the line as they bravely fought to save the lives of so many others.
Firefighting
PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS’ FAMILIES

PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS’ FAMILIES

On September 10, 2001, I was relieved from my day tour at the fire station at South Street and Wall Street in Manhattan, where Engine Company 4 and Tower Ladder 15 occupy one side of the bottom three floors of a 40-story office building. Many of the firefighters and officers who reported in that night and some from the next day tour?14 in all?perished at the World Trade Center.
Firefighting
THE MEDICAL ASPECT

THE MEDICAL ASPECT

The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) response to the World Trade Center placed our members at the epicenter within moments after the first plane hit the North Tower. The total departmentwide recall placed every member at the site.
Fire EMSFirefighting

EXCERPTED RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE McKINSEY REPORT

Firefighting Equipment

QUESTIONS THAT MUST BE ASKED…THEN ANSWERED

Firefighting

CONSTRUCTION AND COLLAPSE FACTORS<sup>1</sup>

Building ConstructionFire Safety

BETRAYAL OF TRUST: “THE GREATEST JOB IN THE WORLD” LASTED ONLY SIX WEEKS

Firefighting

BUILDING THE EOC

Building ConstructionFire Safety

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Firefighter ToolsFirefighting Equipment

SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

Technical Rescue

JET FUEL

Firefighting

“FIREPROOFING” AT THE WTC TOWERS

Fire PreventionFire Safety

HAVE WE LEARNED THE EVACUATION LESSONS? A COMMENTARY

Fire PreventionFire Safety

FE Volume 155 Issue 10

Issues

The Search for Ladder 6

Firefighter TrainingSearch Operations
1 2