reflections on 9/11 in nyc, 20 years later
TRANSCRIPT
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GROUND ZERO:REFLECTIONS ON 9/11 IN NYC, 20 YEARS LATER
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RISING FROM
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FROM THE EDITORThere are no words, even images, that can fully capture the devastation of September 11, 2001.
For those of us who were not on the scene that day, we can only imagine what it must have been like for first responders to face 16 acres of horror at Ground Zero, to see a symbol of America’s military on fire, and to descend upon a Pennsylvania field covered in pieces of an airliner. Those who did face these unimaginable scenes have graciously shared their unique insights – an inside look at how incident command unfolded at the scene, the immediate work to support FDNY, and how the tragedy changed the survivors forever. It is through their eyes that we reflect on the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001.
This publication focuses on personal reflections from the New York City response; additional special coverage of response efforts to the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa., can be found at firerescue1.com/Sept11-20years.
We remember and honor the lives lost at the Pentagon, aboard Flight 93 and in New York City, including the 343 firefighters killed on 9/11 and the hundreds who have since lost their lives to WTC-related illness.
Never Forget.
Janelle FoskettEditor-in-Chief, FireRescue1.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJanelle Foskett
EXECUTIVE EDITORMarc Bashoor
SR. ASSOCIATE EDITORRachel Engel
EDITORIAL DIRECTORGreg Friese
VP OF CONTENTJon Hughes
GRAPHIC DESIGNAriel Shumar
‘A command structure was emerging from the rubble’: Incident command on 9/11 and beyondBy Chief Joseph Pfeifer
‘We needed to do more’: The evolution of support in the aftermath of tragedy By Chief Ron Siarnicki
‘I needed to make a difference’: My post-9/11 career shift By Chief Michael Buckheit
CONTENTS
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Find more 9/11 personal reflections at firerescue1.com/Sept11-20years.
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on the
The advanced network and technology for first responders
To all those
your service.you for we thank front lines,
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A COMMAND STRUCTURE WAS FROM THE RUBBLE
INCIDENT COMMAND ON 9/11 AND BEYOND
EMERGING
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By Joseph Pfeifer
On the anniversary of 9/11, firefighters worldwide stand at attention and render a respectful salute. We pause to remember each significant moment when terrorists used four commercial airlines as missiles, and the ensuing collapse of both 110-story World Trade Center (WTC) towers.
For me, each anniversary brings me back to the WTC site, where reflective pools represent the Twin Towers’ footprints, with the names engraved of all the victims. I solemnly stand in my dress uniform, recalling what I was doing that fateful day and the many faces of first responders who reported to me in the North Tower.
Memories from the dayThat morning I could not imagine that responding to an odor of gas in the streets of lower Manhattan would be the last time anything would resemble routine.
At 8:46 a.m., I heard the roar of jet engines and watched a passenger plane intentionally crash into the North Tower. As the plane disintegrated inside the building, a massive fireball erupted, followed by an unforgettable boom.
Firefighters jumped on their rigs as I ordered them to “go to the Trade Center.” We were going to the
largest and most dangerous fire of our lives with 20,000 people in desperate need.
I picked up the radio and told the dispatcher, “We just had a plane crash into the upper floors of the World Trade Center. Transmit a second alarm and start relocating companies into the area.”
From years of experience, I knew I had to give a concise report. But knowing that I would be the first chief to take command at the scene, dozens of thoughts were streaming through my head. I had to slow my thinking and create a “deliberate calm” to consider what I needed to do next to take command of the largest fire in FDNY history.
In about 60 seconds, I radioed dispatch again and said, “We have a number of floors on fire. It looked like the plane was aiming for the building. Transmit a third alarm.” I then gave specific instructions on what I wanted these units to do. Key to my decision-making during the initial
shock of this extreme event was to take a moment to think and frame the incident. In my message, I was telling units that this was not an accident but a terrorist attack.
What I did not understand at that moment was how the situation would continue to evolve over those 102 minutes, including a second plane smashing into the WTC, this time the South Tower.
The Ground Zero operation led to advances in incident management that continue to evolve for today’s complex and extreme events
The WTC four-quadrant sector map for command and control.
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Later, in the middle of our rescue and evacuation efforts, we heard inconceivable loud rumbling sounds. In seconds, the lobby of the North Tower went completely black. Without knowing that the South Tower collapsed, I quickly ordered all units to evacuate the North Tower, which collapsed 29 minutes later.
Having barely survived, we stood at the edge of the rubble pile with our fire helmets and gear covered in thick gray dust. The death toll was too much to imagine. Our senior command chiefs were killed, and the next in line were injured. I wondered, “How do we build a command structure for such unthinkable destruction?”
Little by little, deputy chiefs began to take command as those of us who survived, responding units and off-duty firefighters gathered on the pile of twisted steel and crumbled concrete.
From the top of a burnt fire truck, a chief asked for a moment of silence for the many lives lost. From this moment of crisis empathy, he re-established command.
Other chiefs took command of each of the four distinct physical sectors caused by the collapse. Many of us recognized the voices of these chiefs and trusted in their leadership. A command structure was emerging from the rubble. It was not a pretty org-chart, but there were people to rescue, voids to search, and fires to extinguish. The unthinkable was our command challenge.
Evolving commandOver the next week, we established an incident command post at the quarters of Engine 10 and Ladder 10, which was located directly across the street from the South Tower. While the building was damaged, it was still intact. We followed the Incident Command System and formally assigned chiefs to the command and section positions.
I became the Planning Chief. One daunting task was to make sure there was situational awareness about the 16-acre collapse area. Our Geographical Information System (GIS) Unit provided a one-page grid map of the site, dividing it into four quadrants with the footprints of where the buildings once stood. We gave this map to every agency working at what would become known as Ground Zero.
‘Ordinary Heroes: A Memoir of 9/11’This article is adapted from “Ordinary Heroes: A Memoir of 9/11” by Joseph Pfeifer in agreement with Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC © Joseph Pfeifer, 2021. Through Chief Pfeifer’s eyes, we see the horror of the attacks and the courage of the firefighters who ran into the burning towers to save others. We walk with him and his fellow firefighters through weeks of rescue efforts and months of numbing grief as they wrestle with the real meaning of heroism and leadership.
Learn more and order “Ordinary Heroes” here.
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A week later, we moved the command post a half-dozen blocks away to a large three-story firehouse on Duane Street, my firehouse. Half of the firehouse quartered Engine 7, Ladder 1 and Battalion 1. The other half was now the WTC command post with the apparatus floor as a huge interagency meeting space and the second floor for the command and section chiefs.
Coordinated efforts, IMTs and supportAccording to New York City executive orders, FDNY would be the incident commander at a collapse. We had to coordinate operations among FDNY, NYPD, the Medical Examiner, National Guard, USAR teams, FEMA, construction companies and many other organizations. I needed help in my expanding role as Planning Chief – and I got it. One day, standing in front of the firehouse, I got an unexpected visit from the
Southwest Incident Management Team (IMT) that came to New York City to assist us. The IMT’s Planning Chief came up to me and said, “Chief, I am from the Forestry’s IMT, and I am here to help you.” I looked at him and silently wondered: “You’re from the Forestry? The WTC has only one surviving tree. How can you help?” I’m sure my skepticism was obvious. How could managing wildfires translate to an urban disaster?
He went on to say, “Chief, I know how hard you have been working, and it looks like you can use some help. I can assist you in putting together an Incident Action Plan (IAP) and manage the other planning functions. We’re not going to take over anything.” He convinced me with his knowledge and empathy. I quickly put the Southwest IMT to work on the third floor of our command post and wrote the first WTC-IAP with their assistance.
One outcome of 9/11 was the creation of the FDNY EOCs to manage large-scale events. (Photo/FDNY)
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The IAP accomplishes three critical aspects of incident command:
1. Shared situational awareness
2. Resource management
3. Operational diversity and inclusion.
Ground Zero was a hazardous site with potential further collapse, open holes, burning fires, toxic dust, and the operation of 27 cranes. The priority was the safety of all working at the site. We coordinated the efforts of diverse groups of responders through daily interagency meetings and Incident Action Plans, which made everyone feel included. We exchanged vital information about search and rescue. By doing so, we discovered the need to remove millions of dollars’ worth of silver hidden in a void below and to drive steel rods into bedrock to reinforce walls that held back water from the Hudson River.
Improving future responsesThe IMTs from the Southwest, and later Pacific Northwest and Alaska, were as indispensable as the USAR teams brought in to assist FDNY in managing this disaster, which claimed the lives of 2,753 people, including 343 members of FDNY. We valued the IMTs as an essential element of command. In our After-Action Review (AAR) conducted by McKinsey & Company, I made sure that one of the recommendations was to create an “Urban IMT.” We later developed an FDNY IMT and utilized them at many major events, from Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy to COVID-19 response and vaccinations.
Another outcome of 9/11 was the creation of the FDNY Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) to manage large-scale events. EOCs are also at the federal, state, local, tribal and territory levels. Even the private sector, like financial institutions and hospitals, sees a need for an EOC to manage crises from cyberattacks to pandemics. Crisis leaders need to connect to a portfolio of EOCs for collaboration and coordination in real-time. This requires a shared platform for Network
Incident Management in addition to any in-person meetings.
The 20th anniversary of 9/11, coupled with the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the past so we can imagine a better command system to deal with future extreme events. NIMS, IMTs and EOCs are integral parts of taking command. Proficiency in incident management depends on highly skilled people.
Virtual IMT, the third generation of IMTsThe evolution of IMTs has expanded the original concept of wildfire IMT to post-9/11 Urban IMT and, more recently, to Virtual IMT for COVID response. This third generation of IMTs will be composed of a specially trained IMT that will operate in a virtual world. Its members will have experience and knowledge in the National Incident Management System (NIMS), online platforms such as Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), state platforms like
PeopleVirtual IMT
ProficiencyNIMS &
Digital Tools
PortfolioEOC’s ICP
PlansIAPs
Dashboards
PlatformNetwork Incident
Management
The five Ps of Network Incident Management: Crisis leaders need to connect to a portfolio of EOCs for collaboration and coordination in real-time. This requires a shared platform for Network Incident Management in addition to any in-person meetings.
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NY-Responds, as well as GIS and other incident management programs. The vision is for each state or regional area to form a Virtual IMT that can be deployed online to support EOCs and the Incident Command Post (ICP) in a broad range of incidents.
Often local EOCs do not have the surge capacity to manage extreme events or sufficient personnel to sustain incident management for a prolonged period. Adding to the problem is the lack of competency in sophisticated and rarely used computer programs. The Virtual IMT or “geek squad” will gather information through voice, video and data from critical sectors to form situational awareness reports, resource tracking, operational IAPs, logistical requests and administration tasks. Lengthy plans will be condensed into digital dashboards for decision-makers. Collaboration and coordination would take place online, which we have seen with COVID. Like the traditional IMT, Virtual IMT members will support incident management.
Imagine the early days of the pandemic and how valuable it would have been for hospitals to be networked for the availability of ICU beds, PPE, ventilators and staffing. A digital platform and a Virtual IMT could be a game-changer for coordinating efforts across public and private sectors.
The key: Working togetherToday, we look to a new generation of crisis leaders to inspire us to unify efforts to solve complex problems in the face of great tragedy, whether terrorism, violent extremism, climate change, natural disaster, pandemics, cyberattacks, industrial accidents or other significant events. Only by working together as we did after 9/11 can we develop the tools and skills for commanding at the next extreme event.
About the Author
FDNY Assistant Chief Joseph W. Pfeifer was the first chief at the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. After 9/11, Chief Pfeifer worked as a strategic leader assessing the Department’s response performance, identified new budget and policy priorities, helped overhaul management practices, created partnerships to supplement the Department’s existing competencies with new expertise, shaped new technologies for emergency response and developed the FDNY’s first Strategic Plan, Terrorism Preparedness Strategy, and Continuity of Operations Plan. Pfeifer was the founding director of the FDNY’s Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness, and ultimately retired from the department as the Chief of Counterterrorism and Emergency Preparedness. He is a Senior Fellow for Crisis Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Pfeifer is also the Director of Crisis Leadership at Columbia University.
Each anniversary brings me back to the WTC site, where reflective pools represent the Twin Towers’ footprints, with the names engraved of all the victims. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
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WE NEEDEDTO DO MORE
“THE EVOLUTION OF SUPPORT IN THE AFTERMATH OF TRAGEDY
A 40-foot-tall bronze monument, named “To Lift a Nation,” was created by sculptor Stan Watts to honor the firefighters who died on September 11, 2001. The monument recreates the famous photo taken by Thomas E. Franklin, a photographer for the Bergen Record, who captured the image of three firefighters raising the American flag at Ground Zero. Along with the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, the statue is located on the campus of the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. (Photos/NFFF)
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By Ron Siarnicki
I started working at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) on July 1, 2001, just two months before September 11. I had recently retired as fire chief from Prince George’s County (Maryland) and was looking forward to serving the Foundation.
When I started with the Foundation, our offices were in Emmitsburg, Maryland, on the campus of the National Fire Academy (NFA). I was driving from Kent Island to Emmitsburg, each day back and forth, two hours one way.
On September 11, I got in early. I got situated, kind of like how the day starts at a firehouse – you get a cup of coffee, and you start talking with the staff.
Our main office was an old conference room on the campus that was used for some of the management meetings. There was a TV, and the news was on. And sure enough, the story broke that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in New York City.
At first, everybody thought it was an aviation accident, that something went awry. Then the second plane hit. Immediately, everyone in that room, the five of us who were there, realized that this was not an accident, but an intentional attack. The news then broke about the Pentagon, and later about another plane in Pennsylvania. I was just sitting there, watching all of this unfold.
The memory is like a recurring dream for me. It’s very vivid.
I remember that room and that TV and that image, and just thinking that it was a tragic day
for our country. And I knew instinctively that the firefighters were going to do everything they could in New York and in Washington to protect lives and property.
And then, as we were watching the TV, the first tower fell. At that moment, I knew that there were firefighters in that building – firefighters who had been killed.
As we watched the Pentagon burn, I remember getting text messages that they were looking for ladder trucks and other equipment to be able to get inside the inner circle of the Pentagon to try to provide for rescues.
All of it brought back all those memories of the Council of Governments discussions that the fire chiefs in the metropolitan region had about mutual aid, and the need to share resources and share information and deal with catastrophic events. I’m familiar with disaster activities but never had I imagined the level of 9/11.
The NFFF’s roleAs I watched the second tower fall, I knew that this moment signified even more firefighters who were not coming out. I said to my staff that we need to be prepared for mass casualties of firefighters, and we need to be looking at what we should be doing relative to the next memorial service because that was really the focus we had each year.
I had lunch in the NFA’s dining hall that day. Ken Burris, the COO of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), was there, too. I told him that we were putting together plans on how to deal with the large number of firefighter deaths for the Memorial Weekend in October.
That evening, Ken was on a plane to New York with FEMA Administrator Joe Allbaugh. And as the discussion turned to the fallen firefighters, Ken told Joe that we had discussed the Foundation putting together plans to assist the FDNY and families downstream. Joe looked at Ken and said, “This isn’t downstream, I want them here – now.”
How the NFFF sprang into action to serve New York City firefighters – and ultimately grew its mission
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Ken called me and told me to put a team together to come to New York the next day. I thought to myself, “How do I make this happen?” So, I did what any fire chief would do: look at the resources available. I contacted the local fire departments – Prince George’s, Montgomery, Fairfax, Alexandria and Prince William. All the chiefs that I knew from the Council of Governments. I told them that the Foundation has been deployed to New York, and I need help. I need some bodies. I need some vehicles. Every single chief offered support.
We convened on September 12, got everybody organized in a convoy, and drove to New York. That’s how that happened. That’s when it began – a relationship that still exists to this day.
When we arrived in New York, the only resources we had was an NFFF credit card that had a $5,000 limit. I knew that there would be resources made available later, but that was all we had to go with then. I also knew that we would spend that amount quickly, so again I reached out to Chief Luther Fincher of the Charlotte Fire
department to ask if he knew anyone at the Bank of America, which was headquartered in his city. I explained what I needed, and within a couple of hours, the NFFF credit card had an unlimited credit line. Luther knew the Bank of America president, and it only took one call to make this happen – another example of the power that fire service relationships have for all of us to get our jobs completed.
A couple of days after our arrival, we were added to the FEMA organizational chart as a family assistance unit. We began to provide support and assistance working with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and other groups to provide support for the FDNY.
Growth out of 9/11When I joined the Foundation in 2001, there was just a staff of five working out of one room. Much of our work included a scholarship program, the Memorial Weekend and the Taking Care of Our Own program, which was funded by the Department of Justice to help fire departments prepare for and deal with a line-of duty-death.
The Sheraton Towers Hotel in New York served as the NFFF Command Post.
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Buses shuttle firefighter families to a Memorial Service in Washington, D.C., in 2002. Uniformed personnel formed a Sea of Blue along the route to the Memorial Service.
When 9/11 happened, we knew we needed to do more, obviously. The interesting piece that drove that was with the 343 firefighters who died that day in New York, plus the other 99 who died in that year from other fire service activities. We were faced with literally not having enough room for the names of the fallen firefighters at the memorial.
The first call was to build a bigger memorial. And while we did add space for more names, another discussion arose – that maybe we ought to be focusing more on preventing firefighter line-of-duty deaths and doing everything we can to lessen the impact on families from the traumatic loss of a firefighter.
Those discussions were really the catalyst for the Everyone Goes Home program, along with the whole line-of-duty death prevention activities that we include in our fire programs today. They also led directly to establishing some outside
funding sources for a robust campaign with the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives to decrease the number of firefighter fatalities that occur in our country each year.
Today’s NFFFI could not have imagined then, where we are now. And I think about that from time to time, the amount of growth and expansion and addition of programs and services that have occurred.
Truly, I think the NFFF’s growth catapulted because of 9/11. I have to say that our corporate partners stepped up to the plate to provide the funding for our programs. We are an entity that was created by Congress, but we’re not funded directly through the federal budget. We do have to apply for grants, and we apply for cooperative agreements. We have to do a lot of fundraising activities, whether it’s the 9/11 stair climbs, golf tournaments or corporate partnerships.
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I often think about the last time I saw FDNY Chief Peter Ganci. It was in August 2001. I was attending Fire-Rescue International, the annual conference of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, in New Orleans. Pete was there by himself, and I was there by myself, so we kind of hung out a little bit together.
After one of the events, we went to have a beverage, just to sit down and catch up. We talked about family, we talked about work, and we talked about where things were going in our departments. We even talked a little bit about where we were going in our careers, where things are going next. Just two fire guys sharing ideas and thoughts.
A month later, I’m watching the towers fall and wondering where Pete is. Is he affected? Is he outside the building or in a command post in the lobby? I’m thinking to myself, he’s probably right in the middle of things, as the chief would want to be there to ensure the well-being of his people and to make sure that the circumstances are addressed. I was worried that he could have been in that collapse and, unfortunately, I found out later
that he was in the building – and that he was gone.
I remember that time we spent together. It’s very special to me. It’s a reminder to me that life is short. You never know what’s around the next corner. And you’ve got to make the most of what you got when you get it. Pete knew that. He had a lot of great wisdom and a lot of ideas on where he wanted to see the department go. He was really in the prime of his career. Unfortunately, there were other plans.
And that’s what we see in our work with the Foundation. The firefighter doesn’t say that “I’m about to go to work today and it could be my last day.” They know that there’s a danger. They know there’s a risk. But they’re hoping that everybody goes home at the end of the day – and that’s the reality of our business. It is a dangerous profession. It’s an industry that has the need for best practices and strategies and tactics. That’s why the NFFF exists, and our mission to honor the fallen and prevent future line of duty tragedies will continue, in memory of our heroes.
LOSING
CHIEFGANCI
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Shortly after 9/11, some fire chiefs in Japan reached out to us early on and said they wanted to do something to help. They provided some of the financial support to help us do some of the initial programs that were needed to help the FDNY, and to develop the programs that continue to help other departments across the country.
We took the lessons learned from 9/11 and other major firefighter line-of-duty death incidents to fine tune our major group deployments, along with our individual responses. We have found efficient ways to help those fire departments recover quicker and, most importantly, to help the Fire Hero Families get to a better place, whatever that new level of normalcy might be.
We have a phenomenal team here at the Foundation. We have a group of people, some from the fire service, some not. Each one of our team members works hard each day, because they’re committed to the mission and purpose, which is to honor every firefighter that dies in line of duty, help those families rebuild their lives and, if possible, prevent death or injury from occurring. I’m blessed with the team that we have.
Ongoing supportTwenty years after 9/11, the NFFF is still supporting the FDNY though its Peer Support Program at the Counseling Services Unit, plus programs provided to the department through our support of the FDNY Foundation. We have been here since the beginning and will continue to be here in support of the FDNY for as long as they need us, just like we do with every department that loses a fire hero in the line of duty.
About the Author
Fire Chief Ronald Jon Siarnicki began his fire service career with the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department in 1978, and progressed through the ranks to chief. In July 2001, Chief Siarnicki retired from the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department to take the position of executive director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) where he still serves today.
The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial includes plaques that honor the firefighters killed on 9/11 as well as those who later died from illness associated with the 9/11 rescue and recovery effort.
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I NEEDED A NEW CALLING, POST-9/11
The New York City fireboat “Fire Fighter II” crosses New York Harbor beneath the lower Manhattan skyline. The fireboat is a 140-foot, 500-ton, $27-million vessel, with a maximum speed of 18 knots and the capability of pumping 50,000 gallons of water per minute. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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By Michael Buckheit
It’s been 20 years, hard to believe.
Have we forgotten? No! We haven’t forgotten. For those of us who lived through the events of that day, regardless of your career, we all know exactly where we were and what we were doing. I’m sure those thoughts are running through your mind right now.
I’m not alone. We all, in some way, re-evaluated life after 9/11. The love of country was palpable, yet we all felt a sense of loss, a need to find a path forward. For me personally, I felt a drive to somehow, in my small way, make a difference.
No longer our small worldTwenty years ago, I was an FDNY lieutenant in Manhattan. My world revolved around the members of my firehouse. Senior members helped in all aspects of daily firehouse life. We responded together, looked out for each other, and did our best to protect the citizens of New York City.
When it came to support services, most aspects were handled by the many and varied civilian employees of FDNY. If a piece of equipment broke, simply request a new one. If the firehouse needed repairs, send a repair request. And after well over a century at work, this process had become a well-oiled machine. We had the personnel, tools, equipment and staff to do almost anything.
On September 11, 2001, the world changed. A devastating hit, we were rocked. The firehouse was no longer our small world. We began to look
outward. An act of terrorism forever changed how we would view our role and respond. Preparedness for large-scale events was the priority. Our well-oiled machine suddenly needed to be expanded, retooled, and capable of addressing “all hazards” in a new and dynamic world to include acts of terrorism.
Combating Terrorism CenterIn February 2003, FDNY partnered with West Point to roll out the Combating Terrorism Center. By this time, I was a newly promoted captain, and I applied to attend the Counterterrorism Leadership Program. To be honest, I didn’t think I stood a chance at being selected. It was the first such program being offered. I was a little fish in a big pond, but I wanted to be part of it.
My previous employment had been with Brookhaven National Laboratory Police, charged with protecting the scientific community, plus the site’s High Flux Beam Reactor. Prior to that, I had been a part of the first armed nuclear security team at Shoreham Nuclear Power Station in New York.
These previous jobs created quite a resume apparently, and I was fortunate enough to be selected as one of just over 30 people to be a part of the Counterterrorism Leadership Program. Little did I know that it was this opportunity that would change my path forward to a completely different aspect of FDNY preparedness and response.
New vulnerabilityOne of several potential projects we had to choose from as part of the course was Harbor Security. It intrigued me. I often heard people say right after 9/11, “Who would have thought they would have used planes as bombs?” I recall thinking of the Kamikaze pilots, in essence, a smart bomb of sorts – simple but effective.
Air travel changed forever after 9/11, but would harbor security?
Great cities throughout history have been built on accessible harbors. Was that now our weakness?
Moving to Marine Operations helped me stay engaged, process the day and build a fleet capable of protecting New York City
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Twenty years ago, I was an FDNY lieutenant in Manhattan. My world revolved around the members of my firehouse and the community we served. (Photo/Laura Yanes Photography)
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Our ports are critical infrastructure, the lifeline for goods to keep this nation supplied. “Never Fight the Last War” was a phrase I always remember from the class. We needed to stay one step ahead and consider how to protect our ports. Marine Operations began looking at how the military stayed adapted to different environments as a guide for how it could be “Fast, Powerful and Agile” in its protection of the waterfront.
Career shiftI was honored to have worked alongside some amazing folks in that course – people who worked tirelessly to plan and rebuild so the department could be resilient and flexible.
Our working group put forth a report that was reviewed and embraced by FDNY leadership. FDNY Marine Operations was a shadow of its
former glory. The personnel, while dedicated, were left with antiquated equipment and had become almost irrelevant.
Promotion to battalion chief pending, I wouldn’t be assigned in a firehouse; I’d be a covering chief. What’s more, I needed a project. I needed to make a difference. From a personal standpoint, that’s how I felt I could honor those that we lost on 9/11. Everyone has their own way; this was mine.
I started inquiring about some roles that were a bit out of the box. I wanted a challenge. I spoke with someone at Hazmat Operations, but I had a relative there and thought perhaps it was too close. My relative mentioned Marine Operations and how Chief James Dalton was up to his elbows in alligators trying to rebuild the unit.
“Fire Fighter” served the FDNY from 1938 through 2010, fighting more than 50 major fires in her career, including the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. “Fire Fighter” is now operated by a volunteer group that preserves the fireboat as a museum ship. (Photo/Laura Yanes Photography)
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I reflected on the project with West Point. Harbor security for FDNY Marine Ops was a part of the job that many knew little about, and what they did know was that when Marine was requested, it seemed they would never get there. Through no fault of the members of Marine Ops, the entire Division was a lesson in failure to adapt to a new and changing environment. The harbor had moved from bulk goods storage and manufacturing to a fast-paced, containerized and recreational port.
Rebuilding the unitAs a newly assigned battalion chief, I was assigned to the Marine Battalion – a battalion of one. I worked with Chief Dalton, a lieutenant executive officer and a small support staff.
Two large platform fireboats were in design stage, and a committee had traveled near and far to glean information from other fire departments and incorporate best practices and lessons
learned. Our facilities had gone beyond their respective usefulness and were in disrepair. We couldn’t haul a boat at an FDNY facility. We only had diesel fuel available (and a limited amount) at our facility and no gasoline for the smaller boats. Hauling boats required us to go to an oil facility “down the block” at high tide only. We could only haul our small craft, many of which were hand-me-downs from other agencies in ill repair. For our one mid-size boat, we would rely on marinas when available to provide the haul out.
We had a long path ahead – the longest journey begins with but a single step. Step 1: Start with the foundation, then build the house.
We needed a starting point. We knew we couldn’t do it alone. The Port is a close-knit community, and we needed to become a much greater player in port partnerships. Together with partner agencies, we are all capable of far greater accomplishments – MISSION FIRST!
FDNY’s four fireboats in active service include Three Forty Three, which features the Harbor’s inter-agency command and control platform; Feehan; Fire Fighter II; and Bravest. (Photos/FDNY)
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Ideas are wonderful, but without funding, they sit idle on a desk. We needed to define who we were, why it’s a critical component of FDNY’s mission while also laying out a strategy and identifying funds. All of this while simultaneously trying to run a Division and Battalion responsible for responding to approximately 560 miles of coastline and countless high-value critical structures.
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Area Maritime Security Committee turned out to be a major step in the right direction. As the Federal On-Scene Coordinator, they are a key player in all aspects of our responses. The USCG does a fantastic job at helping to identify available assets and leveraging those assets to meet the challenge at hand.
The FDNY was both honored and proud to have joined this team and to work alongside all our Port of New York and New Jersey partners. It was this partnership that allowed FDNY to be intimately involved in building a more “Fast, Powerful and Agile” fleet to meet the ever-changing needs of the port. Port Security Grant dollars allowed ideas and solid planning to become real, actionable and measurable successes. The value of the Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) to the overall protection of the Port of New York and New Jersey is immeasurable.
Marine Operations today consists of a tiered vessel response matrix, a fully equipped and functional maintenance shop, a 50-metric ton travel lift and finger piers for haul-outs, a negative forklift, a vessel repair building, new firehouses for Marine 1 and Marine 9, new vessel berthing facilities for Marine 1, 6 and 9, a shipboard simulator and damage control simulator, and members trained as Marine Firefighters.
Put it on paperThrough FDNY’s Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness, we were invited to partner with students from the Harvard Business
School to write a “Marine Operations Strategic Plan.” We jumped at the opportunity. How could we expect support and funding when we hadn’t a clear path forward? It was our responsibly to define Marine Operations, why we mattered and how we planned to be a part of a much greater role in the safety and security of our port community going forward.
Looking backI’m retired now. I still keep in touch with several folks within FDNY Marine Operations. I speak often with the current chief of Marine Operations, Chief Frank Simpson, and the Marine Battalion Commander, Chief Joe Abbamonte. To say I’m proud of them for continuing to evolve, lead from the front, and influence positive change is quite an understatement. I feel like a proud parent when I look at Marine Operations. The tremendous amount of work put forth by countless folks of all ranks and within our civilian support services was Herculean.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the members of FDNY Marine. Change is difficult, the many and varied projects unfortunately didn’t allow us to communicate with the boots on the deck members as we would have liked to, and as we should have. I regret that. At the end of the day, it was our members who made these changes possible for Marine Operations. Boats and buildings are just boats and buildings. The most important change was our members embracing change in order to better serve those whom we are charged to protect.
About the Author
Battalion Chief Michael J. Buckheit retired from the FDNY as Chief of Marine Operations, having served the Department for 31 years. Chief Buckheit began his fire service career in 1988 as a firefighter working in Engine Company 72, then transferred to Ladder 19. He later served as a lieutenant in Engine 37 and a captain of Engine 63. Buckheit was then promoted to battalion chief and assigned to the Marine Battalion. He was later named Marine Battalion Commander and ultimately Chief of Marine Operations.
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SPECIAL EVENTS TO MARK 20 YEARSDetailing how fire departments and fire service organizations will mark the most tragic day in fire service history and honor the 343
FDNY MARINE OPERATIONS STRATEGYOutlining the department’s post-9/11 vision for protecting New York City’s waterfront, including an enhanced fleet and training for new members
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