BRAVEST, FINEST IN GREATEST SACRIFICE

Nassau County cop Richard Doerler describes the "miracle" rescue of a Port Authority officer identified as "John," who survived a fall from 80th floor in the South Tower collapse. Behind Doerler are Nassau cops Robert Bressingham (left) and Mark Tynan.

I am amazed that anyone could survive a fall from that height.

I posted this on another thread. The early estimates of missing firefighters was 200; my daughter said there were at least 275 missing. Now it seems like even that was too low. What is wonderful is that everyone is working together in the rescue and recovery operation. Firefighters, BTW, are as tight, if not tighter, than police in times of crisis.

My daughter's boyfriend, who's with a NJ fire company, is in Queens, and shuttling back into NJ to bring up fire equipment to replace the equipment that's been destroyed. Other firefighters in the region are coming in or are already there (and once he gets the equipment up, he's going in).

She says in an e-mail to me, "the reason you keep seeing NYFD personnel wandering aimlessly around the perimeter on tv? well, all their USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) and Heavy Rescue teams were in the towers when they collapsed (or within the collapse zone). the NYFD people best qualified to find people in the rubble are... under all the rubble. (the national USAR response was mobilized yesterday, but they have to procede cautiously to not add themselves to the casualty list)"

and "both people and bodies were moved by ferry and Circle Line boats (those are the ones we took to the Statue of Liberty) across the Hudson. not just Jersey City, but Hoboken, Bayonne, Liberty State Park."

You and your families and friends are in my deepest thoughts and deepest prayers. GOD SPEED dear neighbors.

I'll forward them your thoughts and prayers.

From what I understand, each of NJ's fire companies (paid and volunteer) are bringing personnel and equipment, and I'm sure it's the same in all the states in the region. I know my daughter is itching to get there, but she isn't able to qualify as a firefighter anymore because of her rheumatoid arthritis. I know she's at the firehouse in NJ assisting with the coordination efforts. But I can tell you as soon as they were called, they dropped everything to respond.

This is the true spirit of America.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.