Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
A look back at the World Trade Center collapse and the events of Sept. 11, 2001
By Newsday (New York)
The following are excerpts of conversations among fire, police and Emergency Medical Service dispatchers and callers trapped in the burning World Trade Center towers. Callers’ words have been omitted. Some conversations are between dispatchers.
8:52 a.m.
FDNY: OK, 106th floor. What building are you in, sir, One or Two? Sit tight. Do not leave. OK? There is a fire, or an explosion or something in the building. All right? I want you to stay where you are. All right? ... We’re there. We’re coming up to get you. ... All right. Just, just keep some windows open. If you can open up windows and just sit tight. It’s going to be a while, because there is a fire going on downstairs.
8:53 a.m.
Fire dispatcher 461 advises a male caller to leave the 106th floor of an unspecified tower.
FDNY: Sir, if you can get out of the building, then get out of the building. If you can’t, just remain there and somebody will get you.
8:56 a.m.
NYPD: The Port Authority called us. They said they couldn’t get through to you. Do you have the World Trade Center? Dude, we are there. Roll everything you’ve got.
8:58 a.m.
FDNY: Is the person breathing? Male or female? How old is she, you don’t know? OK, they jumped out which window, which floor? 84. Where do you see him now, which floor is he now? Platform of five? What floor is he on? 5 WTC? Hold on one sec, don’t hang up ... I’ll put this in as a new job, because it’s a jumper.
NYPD: This is what I have, a jumper.
8:58 a.m.
FDNY: Albany and West. ... And it’s a car on fire? OK. Have you looked up towards the top of the Trade Center recently? That’s probably what it’s from. We will take care of it. Lady. We’ll take care of it. Hang the phone up.
8:59 a.m.
FDNY: All right. You’re on the 105th floor? All right. ... OK. Keep the vents covered up, all right? The fire is downstairs. Just sit tight. ... You may as well break a window. Break a window. ... Somebody will get to you. It’s going to be a while before they will get to you.
8:59 a.m.
A Verizon operator tries to relay to Fire Dispatch the panicked requests of victims on the 105th floor of the north tower. Smoke was overwhelming, and they’d started breaking windows.
VERIZON OPERATOR: We have a hundred people trapped on the 105th floor of the One World Trade Center.
FDNY: OK.
VERIZON OPERATOR: Fire above. They want to know if they should evacuate.
FDNY: I believe they should remain where they are. If they can put something to block the smoke from coming in under the door, because we are in the building, and the hallways are filled with smoke. They should not go in the hallway.
VERIZON OPERATOR: They’ve already started breaking windows. They are panicking on that floor.
FDNY: I understand ma’am. We’re doing the best that we can. OK?
9:04 a.m.
NYPD: We just had a call. The caller hung up, but he said a new explosion just happened at Two World Trade Center at — on the 80th floor.
9:07 a.m.
FDNY: Fire Department dispatcher 827. What’s the address of the fire? NYPD: 827. This is at the World Trade Center, sir. I have a woman that’s hanging from the building from the northwest side of the One World Trade Center.
FDNY: Do you know who this is? You called the Bronx.
NYPD: Yeah, I’m just saying, we can’t get through to Manhattan at this - at the moment.
FDNY: She’s hanging from where?
NYPD: From the — she’s hanging from the top of the One — One World Trade Center on the northwest side of the World Trade Center building.
9:10 a.m.
Talking to people on 22nd floor of the north tower.
EMS: I cant believe this, this has got to be hell.
EMS: He just said the plane hit the side of the building, it blew up the side of the building.
9:12 a.m.
FDNY call from someone on the 106th floor, north tower
FDNY: You said you got 100 people ... you guys trapped in there? Can’t get to the stairway? Can’t get to the elevators?
CALLER:
FDNY: You know, I’m not there. I can only tell you - if there’s more smoke outside than there is inside, and you open a window, it’s going to bring all the smoke in. If there’s a fire going on anywhere and you open a window, its going to make the fire ignite more.
9:20 a.m.
EMS: Calm yourself down. We got everybody else out. We got the firemen out there. We are, we’re trying to get up there. Everybody wet the towels and lie on the floor, put the wet towels over your head and lie down. I know it’s hard to breathe, I know it is. Yes. I understand, sir.
EMS: Try not to panic, you can save the air supply by doing that. Do you have a towel, sir? OK, calm yourself down. I know it’s hot.
9:21 a.m.
EMS: Hello, sir, ... everyone is downstairs already, it’s just a matter of getting you out. The fire is underneath you? If the fire is underneath you, someone needs to look and see if the fire is above you too?
EMS (to another operator): Hung up. Isn’t this terrible. Oh my God.
9:27 a.m.
FDNY: Sir, I’m not a fireman. I’m just telling these guys where to go. Just stay where you are. If you got to break a window, break a window. CALLER:
FDNY: This is the New York City Fire Department dispatcher, sir. ... I’m telling you to stay where you are. Don’t leave your floor. Don’t leave your office. Stay where you are. I’m hanging up.
9:36 a.m.
NYPD: We have a caller. He’s not on the line. States there’s a male hanging out the World Trade Center, the window by the antenna tower.
FDNY: Male hanging from the window at the antenna tower?
NYPD: Right.
FDNY: Which building?
NYPD: Two World Trade Center.
9:38 a.m.
FDNY: Sir, I don’t know. I understand that sir, I understand that, I understand that. We’re trying to get to the people as soon as we can. I don’t know the World Trade Center like the back of my hand. Just tell them to sit tight.
9:39 a.m.
FDNY: Just stay where you are until the fireman come and get you. OK. They’re coming through the building, sir. I got almost every fireman in the city coming to help you. I understand. Just sit tight. The best — we’ll get to you as soon as we can. ... We’re on the way.
9:53 a.m.
EMS: That’s the bad part. And I don’t know what to tell you. I’m so sorry I don’t know what to tell you to do. The door’s supposed to be covered with wet things. If you create a spot where all of you all can stay ... a spot that stays kind of moist? You know what I’m saying? Try to find something like that.
9:58 a.m.
FDNY: 97th floor. ... OK did you put something by the door? OK, stay low, try to cover your mouth. I understand, ma’am. We’re doing the very best that we can. 97th floor, building 2. I’ll notify them, OK? All right. Bye-bye.
10:03 a.m.
FDNY: I had a call from a man caller that said that building One collapsed. ... Yeah, we got it. OK. All right.
10:09 a.m.
FDNY: What building is she trapped in? Tell her to sit tight. We’ll be there as soon as we can. Yeah. Call her and tell her just to sit tight. No, that’s all right. Just tell her to stay where she is.
10:10 a.m.
FDNY: Just stay where you are. Call the Red Cross, OK?
10:21 a.m.
A dispatcher receives a call from an operator about people who were trapped on the 97th floor of Tower One. The dispatcher doesn’t seem to be aware that Tower Two had already collapsed.
NYPD: Forty-five employees are trapped on the 97th floor.
FDNY: 97th floor?
NYPD: Yes.
FDNY: What building?
NYPD: He just said World Trade Center. He didn’t have no address.
FDNY: All right. Do me a favor. Next time these guys call, see if they are in the One or Two Tower.
NYPD: Yes. I asked for an address. He said he didn’t know.
10:23 a.m.
FDNY: On the desk - on the desk. Yeah. Yeah. Can you get out of the basement? Get out of the basement. Get out on the street.
NYPD: They said they are trapped, FD. I called EMS already. All right. All right. We’ll get - we’ll get you some help over there. You are off of Liberty Street, right? All right. Don’t worry about it. We’ll get to you as soon as we can.
Day of devastation
A look back at the World Trade Center collapse and the events of Sept. 11, 2001:
8:46:40 a.m.
American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston, carrying 92 passengers and crew, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
8:48
Within minutes of attack, calls flood city’s 911 system.
8:59
Fire Department orders evacuation of north towers; minute later, Port Authority police order entire complex evacuated.
9:00
President George W. Bush, in Florida to promote his education program, is told of the incident.
9:03:11
United Flight 175, carrying 65 people, slams into the south tower.
9:26
Aviation officials ground all civilian flights across the country.
9:37:46
American Flight 77 from Washington D.C., with 64 people onboard, crashes into the Pentagon.
9:50
Weakened by fires, the south tower collapses into a cloud of smoke and debris.
10:03:11
United Flight 93 from Newark carrying 45 people, plunges into a field in Shanksville, Pa.
10:10
Portion of the Pentagon collapses.
10:28:23
The north tower collapses.
12:36 p.m.
Bush vows to “hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts.”
5:20
7 World Trade Center collapses.
SOURCE: Newsday Research