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American Morning

New York's Firefighters Were at Their Bravest on 09-11

Aired March 11, 2002 - 07:39   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: New York's firefighters were at their bravest on September 11 saving thousands of lives with acts of courage. The fire department suffered heavy losses on that day. Then Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, a 30-year veteran of the FDNY, struggled to find the words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS VON ESSEN, NYC FIRE COMMISSIONER, SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: We have got over 300 people that are missing that we can't account for. We believe that many of them are gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: In all, 343 firefighters died on 9/11, and Tom Von Essen joins us now from New York -- good to see you, sir.

VON ESSEN: Good morning.

ZAHN: I can't even imagine what you woke up thinking this morning. Can you share a little bit of your reflections with us?

VON ESSEN: It has been a rough weekend in general, you know, all of the preparations, that documentary last night, all of the promos and everybody talking about the six month anniversary. I wasn't thinking much about a six month anniversary, because I've been living it every day like all of the people in the department that lost so many friends and lost so many people that they had worked so closely with for such a long time.

Having grown up in the department and knowing so many people, it was really a rough time, but the widows and the families, those are the ones that have suffered the most. The guys have just done a tremendous job trying to help as much as they could. Every firefighter and every firehouse throughout the city has tried to make some contribution at different levels for those families.

So the department is moving on, but it's -- boy, it's an unbelievable wound that's going to take a very, very long time to heal.

ZAHN: How comforting is it to know that the nation salutes you, your fire department, the fallen heroes? How much of a difference has that made to all of you? VON ESSEN: Well, it's something, you know, those of us in this business have known a long time that firefighters are the first responder, the first group of men or people that will come to help you, no matter what your problem is. We have known that people who are running away from an emergency and the firefighters are running towards it. People are running down. We are running up.

So we have known that, and many people appreciate it. But you are right. The outpouring of support all across the world for firefighters all around the world I think is a great thing, and it's appreciation that's long due, that's finally arrived at much too tremendous a cost. I would much rather go back to September 10 and have people not -- maybe not be as aware of us as they are.

ZAHN: You talked about the firefighter's code that, you know, when the rest of us are trying to get out. And yet, there has been a lot of controversy over maybe some lives being lost unnecessarily because of bad communications. What did we learn when these analog radios failed? What can be done in the future to save more lives.

VON ESSEN: Well, there are better communications for that type of situation. Digital radios, I think, will make a difference. But you have to remember that the magnitude of that emergency destroyed almost every way of improving communications, response. There was no way they could get up. If we could have gotten up like we would normally would on emergency elevators to a higher floor, we certainly could have gotten our people out quicker.

So there are improvements out there, and the investigations, everything else will show what I think is a better way to go in the future. And we'll go on.

ZAHN: How many firefighters do you think lost their lives because of the repeater being knocked out of the tower and because of bad communications?

VON ESSEN: We can't tell that. Even we hear firefighters saying constantly that they told firefighters that a mayday had been given, that a report had been given to evacuate the building -- for firefighters to evacuate the building. And there were reports back from those same firefighters saying we have gotten maydays from people above. We are going to go forward no matter what. This is typical of men that are past being heroes, but of being warriors in a situation that even after being told to get out of the building, they were going higher to help people that they thought needed it.

So in addition to better communications and improvements, you have to find better ways to know where everybody is and to get people out as fast as you possibly can.

ZAHN: I know before you went on the air, you were talking about if you could have been a lifer -- a commissioner for the rest of you life, you would have. It was just too much for you, wasn't it, in the end?

VON ESSEN: Oh, yes, I love that job. I love the department. But the pain and the grief, I mean, I was with a widow the other night, and she was telling me that somebody is suing the city and naming her husband as being at fault for ordering her husband into the building. And I thought, oh, god, you know, it's just that kind of pain is just -- that's too much to deal with every day for me after having been in the department 32 years.

So it's good that they have got new people, and they are doing a good job, and they will bring the department back. And it will be different, and it will never be the same. But it will heal, and it will be strong again.

ZAHN: Well, I salute your bravery that you have exhibited over the years. You are very kind to join us this morning with your reflections.

VON ESSEN: Thank you.

ZAHN: Thank you -- good luck in your new job. He is working for the former mayor, Mayor Giuliani again in private life.

VON ESSEN: Yes.

ZAHN: Don't let him get into any trouble out there.

VON ESSEN: Oh, he will.

ZAHN: He is a lightning rod, isn't he?

VON ESSEN: He can't help himself.

ZAHN: Thank you, former New York City Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen.

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