 Videos & Quotes Response Snapshot Blogs Please note: These videos contain news images and personal stories of September 11th. Some viewers may find the content disturbing. In 2021, we marked the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. We remember the sorrow of that day but also the dedication, commitment and strength of those who responded to the tragic events. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell describes how FEMA has developed since Sept. 11, 2001, and introduces the FEMA stories shared below.We reached out to FEMA staff across the country to collect the stories and first-hand experiences of those who served on 9/11.
A volunteer firefighter at the time, Berl was assigned to the Pentagon to fight the fire on September 12.
On 9/11, Tom served as the fire commissioner for New York City. He was one of the first people on the scene at the World Trade Center.
Patrick, a native New Yorker, responded as part of FEMA’s community relations following 911.
"I was one of many volunteers at an impromptu call center which contacted next of kin to our teammates serving at the Pentagon… During that time, all commercial aircraft disappeared from the skies. It would be days before I would see any planes in the sky above me as I walked to and from home, and it was a great comfort to see that tentative step toward normalcy." — Joel Doolin, FEMA Resilience National Preparedness Directorate National Assessments & Integration Director, who was serving active duty in the Navy and was stationed in Memphis, Tennessee on 9/11.
“We lost the task force, good friends of mine, guys I went to school with, we lost. Once I got there my mind could not fathom, I could not process that this pile used to be a tower. It was very difficult initially. But then again, I had a job to do.”
— Pete Bakersky, who was originally from New York, served as the ESF 9 Group Supervisor for FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue efforts at Ground Zero. Pete retired from FEMA in 2016. He passed away in 2020.
MaryAnn, an emergency planner at NYC Emergency Management, was on her way to work at 7 World Trade Center when the first plane hit the North Tower.
— Jocelyn Augustino, Visual Imaging Specialist Manager who worked as a FEMA photographer onsite at the Pentagon following the attacks.
On 9/11, Stephen was deployed to New York to support FBI operations.
“We worked two weeks straight, searching for any survivors or victims. Even the smallest act of service and the simplest act of kindness is a way to honor those we lost. If we learn nothing else from this tragedy we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate." — John Kosciolek Jr., FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Branch Director, who served as a fire fighter at Ground Zero.
“As my cab turned onto 16th Street near the White House, I saw tanks and artillery batteries in the streets of my city. At that moment, the emotional protection of being a FEMA employee with a mission evaporated. I was just fearful and sad. I was just an American.” — Christi Harlan, who served as FEMA's Director of External Affairs on Sept. 11, 2001
The morning of Sept. 11, Lai Sun was working at the NYC Office of Emergency Management at the World Trade Center.
“Photographs I took of ground zero are, I’m told, in the Smithsonian Institute’s archives. One image I captured, of a search and rescue dog, hangs in my living room today. It’s a reminder of how my life, all of our lives, changed on 9/11. It’ll never be the same; it’s been divided into before and after.” — Amanda Bicknell, Mitigation and Risk Communication Specialist, who served as a public affairs specialist for FEMA on September 11.
At the time, Stacie was a FEMA reservist in public affairs. She led FEMA's public affairs efforts in New York City, and also supported Washington, D.C., coordinating the media response after the attacks.
Donovan supported operations in NYC, Pentagon and Shanksville, Penn.
“During Sept. 11, 2001, there was a real dichotomy of feelings among the staff. We were shocked. We were saddened. We were angry. But we were also determined to answer the call to action, and we did. Following the attacks, I served as a subject matter expert on national security contingency operations and worked as many as 195 hours in a single, two-week pay period. Although Mount Weather was only 40 miles from my home, I was deployed to the facility for over 250 nights, and we spent nearly every waking moment in response to this attack and in support of our mission.” — Kurt M. Stoliker, Director, National Programs Office at the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center who served as a national security contingency expert at FEMA following the September 11 attacks.
“What I witnessed and lived through during the days and weeks after September 11, 2001, has forever changed the person I was on September 10th and the person I am in 2021. What was meant to destroy has made me and so many millions of others in this country more resilient. We love our country and will always do whatever is necessary to protect and defend it.”
— Lisa Nine, Preparedness Officer in GPD’s National Programs Branch, who worked in New York City to solicit and coordinate donations from all over the world to rebuild the U.S. Secret Service New York Field Office operations after the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
On 9/11, Tom served as a New York State police officer. He was sent to manage and coordinate events at Ground Zero.
Blog Read Amy's full story. Alejandro led the FEMA Public Assistance program to support local, state and federal governments in their response and recovery efforts. The program paved the way to recovery.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, ground zero was closed to the media: capturing the historical significance of the event was tasked to FEMA videographers and photographers. Blog — Fred Endrikat, Chief of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Branch, who served as the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Operations Chief for the World Trade Center response. Read Fred's full story.
"This was one of the first images I photographed for FEMA at Ground Zero. The light and smoke sifted in and out of the site, revealing areas and hiding others. This image reminds me of the tremendous hope we had early on, that we would find survivors." — Andrea Booher, photographer
Sept. 11, 2001: President approves New York Disaster Declaration.
Sept. 21, 2001: President approves Virginia Disaster Declaration.
FEMA deployed 26 urban search and rescue teams. Twenty-one teams went to New York, five went to the Pentagon in Northern Virginia. These teams searched tirelessly to locate survivors and victims.
FEMA deployed more than 3,400 employees to New York and 17 to New Jersey. These employees helped survivors receive assistance and worked with federal, state and local government stakeholders during the response and recovery phases.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removed 1.6 million tons of debris from Ground Zero in a 1.7-million-hour operation.
FEMA grant funding provided more than $295 million to the New York City Police Department in overtime costs and $5 million for destroyed vehicles.
FEMA grant funding provided more than $28 million to the New York City Fire Department for vehicles destroyed in the fire.
FEMA provided more than $130 million to survivors in the New York City area, including $41.5 million in mortgage and rental assistance. FEMA provided more than $14.5 million to survivors in Virginia. These funds helped with everything from crisis counseling in the immediate aftermath to compensation for lost wages.
FEMA grant funding provided more than $238 million for projects to help New York area communities recover by rebuilding or restoring infrastructure, transportation, and other public facilities. In addition, FEMA grants funded more than $2 billion in debris removal, emergency protective measures and response activities.
FEMA grant funding provided more than $4.8 million to help Virginia communities rebuild or restore infrastructure, transportation, and other public facilities.
2003: The Ready Campaign, a national public service campaign designed to promote preparedness through public involvement.
March 2003: FEMA became part of the Department of Homeland Security.
2004: National Preparedness Month launched as a national campaign to be held each September to honor the events of 9/11. The annual campaign’s focuses on encouraging everyone to take steps to prepare for emergencies or disasters.
2016: FEMA’s Region 2 moved its regional headquarters to 1 World Trade Center.
The Shape of FEMA Since 9/11: Mike Byrne Shares His Story Mike Byrne talks about the events of Sept. 11, 2001 as if he’s recalling a day last week. Like many who responded that day, Mike found meaning and comfort in the work he did to help those who survived, and worked tirelessly to honor those lost.
Guiding Helping Hands After 9/11: Alex Amparo Shares His Story When Alex Amparo heard the news that a plane had struck the World Trade Center on his way to work, he immediately made a U-turn and headed directly to Florida’s emergency operations center. Today, Amparo serves as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator for Resilience at FEMA, but at the time of the 9/11 attacks Amparo was working in emergency management in Florida.
Serving A Higher Purpose: Bob Fenton Remembers 9/11 Like so many others that day, Bob and his colleagues gathered around a television, watching the events unfold. They were worried about the fate of FEMA employees at Region 2 headquarters in New York City and the effect the events would have on the agency. Later that morning, Bob got a call from agency leadership asking him to come and lead the response at the World Trade Center.
It was six months into the recovery, I was standing in what was left of Tower two. I looked across and there was a group of guys huddled together by what was left of Tower 1… I couldn’t really tell what they were doing but when I got back that night and I looked at my video, I could see that they were performing last rights. Six months after the event and they were still treating every recovery with dignity and respect. It was very humbling to witness that.”
Responding on September 11: Joel Pirrone Shares his Story On the morning of September 11, 2001, the skies were clear. Joel Pirrone, now an emergency manager at FEMA’s National Response and Coordination Center, knew that a cloudless sky meant that a plane hitting one of the twin towers was probably not an accident.
Amy Gabriel couldn’t find a song on the radio the morning of September 11, 2001. She was driving four hours to Shanksville, Pennsylvania in a Red Cross vehicle to respond to the Flight 93 tragedy. There was no cassette or CD player in the vehicle, so she had nothing to distract herself from her thoughts.
On Sept. 11, Dan Best was participating in a workgroup to develop a Public Assistance training course at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Classes and workshops were cancelled, and everyone was told to go home. A Recovery Branch Chief in FEMA Region 7 at the time, Dan let his supervisor know he could either return to the region or assist with the agency’s response to the incident. |
The experience of those who lived through 9/11 needs to create which of the following outcomes
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