WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

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It was utter destruction. 

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You know, there were plane parts
 all over the area, fire rescue personnel,

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police, all emergency services
 staff were everywhere.

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Heavy smoke and you know,
 the smell of jet fuel.

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It just an utter disaster.

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You know, surreal. 

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When you arrived, you couldn't
 believe you were standing at the Pentagon.

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We're up there fighting the fire. 

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And an aircraft warning went out

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that there was an aircraft in the area
 and everybody's like, we have to evacuate.

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Well, you know, all the firefighters
 got together basically understanding that

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if that plane was coming
 in, we weren't going anywhere .

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We're not getting off that roof. 

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So it is what it is
 and make peace with it.

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And fortunately,
 it turned out to be nothing.

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But they were willing at that point
 in time, everybody that was up

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there was willing to do
 what we needed to do

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to put that fire out
 to make sure the nation was protected

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. So our crew went in to join

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other members that were below ground
 and we went down several levels.

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And I distinctly
 remember the sound of everything above us

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sounded like it was coming down. 

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And then the collapse
 signal was sounding for evacuation

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as parts of the underground
 were starting to come down.

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And I just remember, you know, we got what
 we could up onto the stretchers

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and it was, you know,
 a marathon run, a sprint

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all back up to levels
 until we can get exterior.

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So we were running
 as if everything was coming down.

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And I just remember them
 screaming, it's collapsing.

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And and we had to get out that
 that morning of seeing the first plane.

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It was it was just concern for my friends
 that I knew would be responding.

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Second plane and then the subsequent
 attacks, it turned into anger.

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I was I was very angry.

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Not only not only had
 they attacked my home in New York City,

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but they also now have attacked Virginia,
 where I was living,

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and they attacked my friends and family.

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And I was angry. I was upset.

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Beyond I just have to say thank you
 to all those that

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that came to my assistance
 as I was trying and struggling with

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how do I come out of out of this
 and join the fight?

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And, you know, one
 of the one of the things I remember from

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heading out, we had all of our gear on
 and we're trying to we're marching out

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with our gear and all the people
 that were on the West Side

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Highway with signs. 

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You know, it was pretty amazing
 seeing them all out there.

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And that day, the firefighting
 was probably the easiest part.

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I think the toughest part
 was the emotional impact,

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I think, at the time. 

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You know, not really sorry. 

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We'll take a minute. 

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So it was clear after I returned from

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from operations in the city after 9/11

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that I needed to return
 to emergency management.

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FEMA contacted me to say
 there were jobs being posted

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and I applied, came in for interviews.

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And several months later, 

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I found out I was accepted and began
 working at five hundred C Street.

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This is the first time since 2001
 that I've physically been

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at the memorial outside
 where I was stationed with the rest of my

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rest of my team. 

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I mean, it's amazing what they did here 

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with the with the site,
 what they did with the repairs here,

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and knowing that,
 you know, they're paying their respects to

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all those on the plane, 

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also those on the ground
 and those that we lost. Since then,

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they've done an incredible,
 incredible job here representing

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and I'm sorry it took so long,
 took 20 years to

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come back. But, wow.