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American Morning

Interview with Steve Alonso

Aired September 03, 2002 - 07:50   ET

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

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: It has been said many times, and will again over the next week-and-a-half, what a difference a year makes. Approaching this 9/11, we are introducing you throughout the week here to people whose lives were changed forever by the attacks of last year.
New York Police Detective Steve Alonso, among those who had rushed in to help, and he joined the cleanup effort later at ground zero, then again, at the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island. Steve is also one of the "Faces of Ground Zero" with us this morning here on AMERICAN MORNING.

Detective, good to have you.

STEVE ALONSO, NYPD DETECTIVE: Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: Good morning to you, pal.

In February of 1997, there was a shooting incident that took place at the observation deck of the Empire State Building. It was about five years ago. You were one of the first officers to respond. I believe you helped save, actually, two children -- take them out of the building.

ALONSO: That's right.

HEMMER: At the time, you said that was the most traumatic moment of your life.

ALONSO: Up until September 11.

HEMMER: Yes.

ALONSO: I felt in '97 with the Empire State Building that I was never going to experience a horrible tragedy like that up until September 11 last year.

HEMMER: You have said in many interviews that part of your job, when you first arrived on the scene coming in from Staten Island that morning -- the towers had already been down -- was to go through rubble and try to find survivors. What you, instead, found were numerous body parts.

Have you been able, in your own mind a year later, to put that experience into some sort of personal perspective?

ALONSO: I did. Actually, it took quite a while. It took like two or three months after September 11.

I was actually off that day on September 11, because my girlfriend took me -- wanted to take me to Manhattan to meet some movie producers. I get a phone call about 9:00 in the morning that day, and my mother says, turn on the TV -- actually CNN -- just turn on the TV, a plane just hit the building.

So I turned the TV on, and I noticed that the -- one of the towers was on fire. So I called my command, and my supervisor was telling me, listen, come in, you know, there was a jet that plunged into the building. So I said, I'll be in a couple of minutes.

I flew down to Staten Island. As I was getting over into Staten Island and pulling into the parking lot, the second plane -- I see the second plane coming over where I work at. About 30 seconds later, that plane plunged into the building.

So we stood around for a little bit, making sure that we had precautions going down into the city, making sure everybody was OK, and making sure that everybody was accounted for. Then, we all headed down to ground zero.

When we headed down to ground zero, by the time we got over Brooklyn, there was a lot of traffic. We noticed that both -- one building went down. About five or 10 minutes, the other building went down. So when we got into the city, actually both buildings were down, and we started our rescue effort.

HEMMER: There is a picture, a black-and-white photo, in the latest edition of "Time" magazine, and it literally shows a group of police officers standing on Liberty Street, staring at what remained of the North and South Towers in the distance. And it is quite clear and obvious that these men did not know what to make of what they were looking at.

Did you have a similar feeling?

ALONSO: I had a similar feeling. I think everybody had that similar feeling that day.

You go down there, and it was just a feeling of Armageddon. You know, everything was everywhere.

I mean, when I came down West Street today to come over here, I noticed that September 11, West Street was covered with debris. And I was passing through there today, it was another eerie feeling today just to know how quickly everything was cleaned up.

HEMMER: That is so true. You lost three friends, right?

ALONSO: Yes, Alvin Romero (ph), John Perry (ph), who was actually retiring that day, and Timothy Roy (ph).

HEMMER: Wow! What a day it was.

Listen, a year later now, as you look back, have you thought about what you're going to do, how you're going to handle 9/11/02?

ALONSO: A little differently. Actually, everybody is -- everybody is more aware of this (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I think right now in the United States with everything that's going on right now.

HEMMER: Are you going to work that day? Are you going to stay home?

ALONSO: Yes, I'm actually working that day. I go to a church down on Canal Street, the Transfiguration Church, and they're going to have a vigil, so.

HEMMER: If you could finger point for us for a second here on your own life, what do you think is dramatically different about Steve Alonso a year later, as opposed to 12 months ago?

ALONSO: More aware. I think I'm more aware around my surroundings now. Every time I go out and there's a large group of people, I tend to observe more to make sure everybody around me is safe.

HEMMER: Keep fighting the good fight, OK?

ALONSO: Thank you. I appreciate it.

HEMMER: Detective Alonso, you got it.

ALONSO: Thank you.

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