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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Recovers: Talk with Two Guys in N.Y. Fire Department

Aired November 14, 2001 - 08:46   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: I want to welcome back Billy Bush, the newest member of our AM team here.

How are you doing this morning?

BILLY BUSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm great.

ZAHN: Have you been treated well since your arrival here at CNN?

BUSH: Yes, except there were no donuts with the chocolate covers. I'm afraid Jack ate all of them.

ZAHN: You heard. You feel sorry for him, right? The guy doesn't get free food downstairs, so he has to come up here to get his breakfast.

BUSH: He's coming over here. Witness protection network.

ZAHN: All right, now I want to be able to give you a transition that will save the importance of what you have to do here this morning. You lived here for a while, and you have watched the enormous commitment that the fire department of New York has had, particularly in the wake of the September 11th attacks, and now in this crash of flight 587.

BUSH: Yes, and two of the most amazing guys in the fire department are joining us in just a second. But when you see flames break out of a building, which way do you go? Most people go the other way; these guys, they go straight towards it, it's a one-way street, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Joining us now, two guys, Matt Tansey (ph) from the fire department, and also Michael Stackpole (ph).

Michael, let me ask you, your brother is Timmy Stackpole, and most people in New York know Timmy. Let me ask you a question, since you have been out there in Rockaway, how tough has about been? When you go to a fire and knowing what your brother was through, and what you went through at the World Trade Center, do you think differently on your way?

MICHAEL STACKPOLE, FIREFIGHTER: Well, when you are on your way, you are thinking a little bit differently, you are a little bit more nervous, but when you get there, I kind of relate it to like sports. You are nervous before the game, but when the whistle blows, you do what are you trained to do. But on the way there, yes, we are a little bit nervous, especially now, a little bit more nervous than usual.

ZAHN: Michael, on September 11th, you had dual duty. I mean, you were obviously searching for as many people as you could, and also searching for your brother. How tough was that? What's going on in your head at that time?

STACKPOLE: To tell you the truth, I am not real sure what is going on in my head. I just now know that I was looking for him like he would have looked for me if I was down there, or any other fireman looking for their brother. I'm not the only fireman that lost their brother there; we were all doing the same thing. We just did what we were suppose to do.

ZAHN: A few weeks September 11th, scaffolding collapsed down in Park Avenue. I think it was down 18th Street. Did you respond to that as well? Were you there?

MATT TANSEY, FIREFIGHTER: Yes, I was.

BUSH: And also Monday tell me -- sorry. On Monday, tell me what happened at 9:00. You responded out in Rockaway, too, didn't you?

STACKPOLE: Yes, we were in our firehouse when we go the call to respond down at the Rockaway that a major plane accident happened, and we responded down there to give a hand to the civilians down there, everybody that who was involved.

BUSH: Thank you. And standing next to you Matt Tansey, also. Amazing, from it's ladder company 12, right?

TANSEY: That's correct.

BUSH: You lost everyone in that company. You were the only one that made it out of September 11th, isn't that right?

TANSEY: No, that's not true. I lost half of the company that day. Seven of us went in, and unfortunately only three of us made it out.

BUSH: And you live in Rockaway?

TANSEY: Yes, I live on 128th Street, just a couple of blocks from the accident.

BUSH: Since September 11th, you have been on psychological leave and you returned home, home is Rockaway. So let me ask you on Monday morning in 9:00, what were you doing, in the house and...

TANSEY: I had just gotten up, and I heard the plane coming, and I ran to one of the windows on the third floor of the house, so it kind of give you a little bit of a bird's-eye view, and right when I looked out the window I just saw a gigantic fireball explosion, the house shook, and just, I was speechless, I was in total disbelief. BUSH: Having been through what you been through and having lost so many of your brothers on September 11th, what made you put that jacket on, why did you grab the helmet and run out the door?

TANSEY: I just -- I figured I needed to help, give people a hand, and I could just sit back and not do anything.

BUSH : Was that helpful as far as dealing with the psychological ramifications of September 11th? Was it helpful to get back in there, or do you think you were maybe you were not quite ready?

TANSEY: I'm not sure yet, you know. I wouldn't have felt good about myself if I did not get over there and chip in, but you know, we'll see how goes.

BUSH: Timmy, let me ask you, when you think about your brother and you think about all the guys in the fire department, and also the attention and the praise that has been bestowed upon that fire department, what was it like before September 11th? How did people perceive you guys?

STACKPOLE: Before September 11th?

BUSH: Yes. Did you get that attention when you walked around?

STACKPOLE: Well, we didn't get the attention we are getting now, but the public always love the fire department. Unlike the PD, when we are called, we are there to help people all of the time, and most of the people, kids, they often wave to the fire truck when they pass. Even the mothers wave to the fire truck. So we always felt praise all of the time. But now, we are on definitely a higher scale in the public's eye. And rightfully so, I believe.

BUSH: Yes.

And, Matt, let me ask you one last question just we because we are going to talk to some more people in Rockaway later on in the next hour. Having lived there all of your life, have you -- did you ever think twice about living near JFK when you heard those planes up above?

TANSEY: Just living here, you get used to the planes going overhead, but I guess it passes through your mind, you know, once in a while, but the reality of this whole thing is just, you know, unbelievable.

BUSH: And in two seconds, I want to ask you, are going anywhere? Are you thinking of moving at all?

TANSEY: Not right now, just a lot of friends and family in the neighborhood who suffered tremendous losses on the 11th, and we are all trying to stick together, and just, you know, be there for each other.

BUSH: Thank you very much, appreciate it. Firefighters Stackpole and Tansey, two of America's bravest. STACKPOLE: Thank you for your time.

ZAHN: You know, their chief medical officer was on the air talking about how firefighters instinctively go to these fires, and they often don't take care of their psychological needs, and she's quite concerned that a number of firefighters who had to deal with the September 11th attacks, and now 587, are somehow not going to be caught by a safety net. It is hard for everybody to process what has happened here.

BUSH: The nightmares and things like that must be tough.

ZAHN: Again, welcome aboard. We will see you next hour. Glad to have you with us.

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