Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Second-by-Second Terror Revealed in Calls to 911
New York Daily News ^ | 9/31/01 | Michael Daly

Posted on 09/30/2001 5:38:46 AM PDT by areafiftyone

08:47:22 BLDG EXPLOSION

08:48:03 EXPLOSION ON TOP OF WORLD TRADE

08:48:07 PLANE INTO TOP OF BLDG

The date was Sept. 11 and incident No. 0727 was flashing onto the screen before the citywide dispatcher for the Fire Department's Emergency Medical Service in downtown Brooklyn.

The times registered when each call was logged. The codes and abbreviations were the same as for a fender bender or a kitchen fire. MC was a male caller. FC a female caller. STS stood for states, or says.

8:45 AM: Smoke billows from 1 World Trade Center after it is hit by first hijacked jet.

08:50:12 MC STS PLANE JUST FLEW INTO WORL TRADE CENTER---POSS COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE

08:50:22 FC STS WTC BLEW UP

08:50:29 FC STS SME AS ABV

The dispatcher was already sending ambulances to the scene. The screen recorded the arrival of Mario Santoro and Keith Fairben, who would be among the eight emergency medical people listed as missing.

08:50:46 #8027 SANTORO EMT...#8001 FAIRBEN EMT...@01 WORLD TRADE CENTER.

The screen kept flashing summaries of 911 calls received by police operators, at first mostly from people far enough away to immediately register what had happened.

08:52:53 FC STS BIG HOLE IN THE RIGHT SIDE

08:53:28 MC STS SOMEONE FELL OUT OF BUILDING

Then the screen flashed the first calls from inside 1 World Trade Center.

08:56:44 MC STS HE IS ON THE 87 FLR--STS 4 PERSON THERE W HIM--STS THERE IS FIRE

08:56:57 FROM FLR 47 ANON FC STATS BLDG SHAKED AND SMELLS GAS

One caller gave the name Hanley. The list of the missing would include a Christopher Hanley, who had been attending a Risk Water Conference at Windows on the World.

08:57:02 MC HANLEY STS SMOKE ON THE 106 FLR...PEOPLE CANNOT GET DOWN

Other calls came from the floors just below.

08:57:26 PEOPLE SCREAMING IN BACKGROUND--STS CANNOT BREATHE---POSS SMOKE COMING THRU THE DOOR---FLR 103... TRAPPED.

MC LUTNICK STS...SMOKE ON 104 FLR

Lutnick was apparently Gary Lutnick, of the bond trading firm Cantor Fitzgerald. He was the brother of the firm's chairman, Howard Lutnik, who had not yet arrived because he took his son to the first day of school.

08:58:52 CALLER STS ML CAME THR THE WINDOW

08:59:17 MC WILLIAM FRM 86 FLR--CEILING COLLAPSED

The dispatcher continued to send EMTs and paramedics, including two more who would never return, Yamel Merino and Carlos Lillo.

08:59:22 #4124 Merino

08:59:25 #3723 Lillo

The calls kept coming, giving floors and room numbers where even the bravest rescuer could not reach.

09:01:34 MC STS 104 FLR STS THERE ARE 12 PEOPLE STUCK AT LOC

09:01:53 FC STS HER SON AND ANOTHER MALE IS TRAPPED IN ROOM 8617.

09:02:10 FC CALLER STS PEOPLE ARE TRAPPED ON TOP OF BLDG---STS NEED SOMEONE TOP OF LOC

09:03:11 MC STS WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF BUILDING

More calls came from Cantor Fitzgerald, where 655 employees would go missing. These would include Ian Schneider, 45-year-old father of three.

09:03:12 MC SCHNEIDER STS ON 105 FLR THERE IS SMOKE W A LOT OF PERSONS INSIDE

There was also young Richard Caggiano.

09:04:14 MC CAGGIANO...STS PEOPLE TRAPPED ON THE 104 FLR...IN BACK ROOM...STS 35-40 PEOPLE

By then, the smoke had reached the lower floors.

09:04:24 MC STS TRAPPED ON FLR 22---HOLE IN HALLWAY---SMOKE COMING IN---UNABLE TO BREATHE---MC STATES WILL BREAK WINDOW

The calls kept coming from those above.

09:04:50 MC---STS 103 FLR--CANT GET OUT---FIRE ON FLR...PEOPLE GETTING SICK

A report from police aviation flashed across the dispatcher's screen.

09:05:03 AIR SEA #14 PEOPLE FALLING OUT OF BUILDING

Person after person jumped. The next police report marked the end of hope for those on the uppermost floors.

09:06:41 AIR SEA #14 UNABLE TO LAND ON ROOF

Call after call after call came from the trapped.

09:07:40 CALL FLR 103--ROOM 130---APPROX 30 PEOPLE---LOTS OF SMOKE---FC IS PREGNANT.

Second Horror

Eleven seconds later, an official notification flashed on the screen.

9:10 AM: Fire and debris explode from the second tower.

09:07:51 SECOND PLANE HIT THE SECOND BUILDING...UNK EXTENT OF INJ

The calls kept coming from the first building.

09:08:02 FC SCREAMING

09:08:15 FC STS WORLD TRADE ON FIRE---STS FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDED TO PUT OUT FIRE

09:07:10 JUMPER

09:09:14 MC STS HE'S IN THE OFFICE WITH 40 TO 60 PEOPLE---UNSURE WHICH WAY TO GO

Now, the first calls came from the second building

09:09:21 MC STS 2WTC---PEOPLE ARE JUMPING OUT THE SIDE OF A LRG HOLE---POSS NO ONE CATCHING THEM

The towers were now twins in terror.

09:07:25 MC STS DIFF BREATHING AT LOC

09:09:43 ON FLR 104--MC STS HIS WIFE IS ON THE 91 FL---STS STAIRS ARE ALL BLOCKED---STS WORRIED ABOUT HIS WIFE

09:08:22 STUCK OCCP ELEV ON 104 FLR---PEOPLE IN ELEV

09:11:30 FC STS POSS FEM IN WHEEL CHAIR ON 68TH FL...POSS ALONE

09:11:55 FC STS SON IS IN WORLD TRADE CENTER--STS IN RM 8617 FLOOR 86

09:12:18 MC STS ON 106 FLR ABOUT 100 PEOPLE IN ROOM---NEED DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO STAY ALIVE

The call summaries were interspersed with with notations of arriving ambulances and police reports of airport shutdowns, bridge closures and evacuations of public buildings.

09:13:52 100 FL FC UNABLE TO ID EXACT LOCATION NEEDS HELP

09:14:25 1 PP AND GRACIE MANSION BEEN EVACUATED

09:14:52 FC STS 100 FL---UNABLE TO SPEAK

09:15:34 SEVERAL JUMPERS FROM THE WINDOW AT 1 WORLD TRADE CENTER

09:16:06 HAVE UN BUILDING EVACUATED FORTHWITH

09:16:55 ALL MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS---TO BE EVACUATED

09:17:20 MC STS HE CAN'T GET OUT---1 WORLD TRADE CENTER

09:17:39 MC STS ON 105 FLR...STAIRS COLLAPSE

09:19:16 EMPIRE STATE BUILDING IS BEING EVACUATED

09:19:20 120 PEOPLE TRAPPED ON 106TH FL A LOT OF SMOKE NOT SEEING FIRE...CAN'T GO DOWN OR UP THE STAIRS

The screen then reported a desperate scramble to nowhere.

09:19:58 EVACUATION TO THE TOP FLR OF WORLD TRADE CENTER

Trapped

The calls scrolled on and on.

09:21:31 FC STS THEY ARE IN STAIRWAY C...ON 82ND FLR...STS DRS ARE LOCKED AT LOC...STS NEED SOMEONE TO OPEN DOOR

09:23:05 MC STS HES ON 84 FLR---NUMBER 2 TOWER---CAN'T BREATHE---CALLER DISCONNECTED.

09:23:28 FC STS SHE SAW PERSON IN THE BUILDING. THE PERSON IS WAVING

09:24:54 MC STS STAIRWAY COLLASPE ON 105 FLR

09:25:28 MC...STS TRAPPED IN ROOM ON 103 FLR...STS DOORS ARE HOT

09:27:33 FC DIANA STS HUSBAND FRIEND TONY IS STILL ALIVE ON THE 101 FLR

09:28:42 FC STS SOMEONE WAVING A WHT FLAG 1ST BLDG THAT WAS HIT---10 FLR DOWN FRM THE TOP

09:32:14 2 WORLD TRADE---105 FLR---PEOPLE TRAPPED---OPEN ROOF TO GAIN ACCESS.

09:36:33 FC STS THEY ARE STUCK IN THE ELEVATOR...STS THEY ARE DYING.

The screen reported the approach of an airplane.

09:37:35 AIRCRAFT IS MILITARY

09:38:52 MC COSGROVE STS CALLED BEFORE STS HE NEEDS HELP STS CANT FIND STAIRCASE TO GET OUT OF LOC STS PEOPLE NEED HELP ON 105 FLR

09:39:25 MILITARY AIRCRAFT--- ENFORCING NO FLY ZONE

09:40:45 MC STS PEOPLE PASSING OUT

09:42:04 PEOPLE STILL JUMPING OFF THE TOWER

09:39:40 FC MELISSA STS FLR VERY HOT NO DOOR STS SHE'S GOING (TO) DIE...STILL ON PHONE...WANT TO CALL MOTHER

More people trapped, more people jumping, and then a first hint of what was to come.

09:47:15 FC STS 2 WORLD TRADE CENTER---FLR 105---STS FLOOR UNDERNEATH HER ---COLLAPSE

The screen scrolled on.

09:47:23 ML WAVING JACKET...ML JUST JUMPED

09:49:21 1 WORLD TRADE CTR...20 PEOPLE ON THE TOP WAVING...THEY ARE ALIVE PLEASE SEND HELP

09:54:36 ANOTHER CALL CAN HEAR PEOPLE CRYING...NO VOICE CONTACT

Then came another hint.

09:55:28 2 WTC---106 FLR---105 FLR CRUMBLING

The screen kept scrolling, mixing calls with official reports.

09:54:21 MC STS ON 93 FLR 30 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM---STS SMOKE IS GETTING WORSE

09:56:22 PENTAGON IN WASHINGTON HAS BEEN STRUCK BY AIRPLANE

A Rumbling Roar

One woman called from Duane St., saying she had seen the planes hit and noticed white particles that had been falling along with the jumpers.

O9:59:03 FC CONCERN ABOUT RESPIRATORY EFFECTS OF THOSE PARTICLES

10:00:22 ANY UNIFORM PERSONNEL TO BATTERY PARK CITY...ELECTION DETAIL UNITS RESPONDING.

10:00:33 MC STS SON CALLED---ON FLR 93---STS IN THE SECOND TOWER THAT WAS HIT---STS SMOKE IS GETTING WORSE

Twelve seconds later there was a rumbling roar.

10:00 AM: The World Trade Center has collapsed.

10:00:45 WORLD TRADE CENTER HAS COLLAPSED.

All calls from the south tower suddenly ceased with a notation.

CALL DISCONNECTED

A message came from an EMS unit.

10:07:54 TRAPPED BUILDING FELL ON THEM

A police report flashed on the screen.

10:10:31 NUMEROUS (OFFICERS) IN BLDG THAT JUST COLLAPSED--PERSONNEL TRAPPED IN BASEMENT...PEOPLE IN THE RUBBLE

The calls from the north tower continued; people trapped, people jumping.

10:12:35 MC STS HE CAN BARELY BREATHE...105TH FLR

The sister of a former Xavier High School football star called.

Paramedics rush an injured woman from the scene.

10:16:02 FC STS HER BROTHER IS IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER 104 FLR---STS NO ONE HAS COME FOR HIM YET

Then, came a series of warnings.

10:26:34 DOES APPEAR THAT TOP OF TOWER POSS LEANING AT THIS TIME---AIR SEA #14---IS BUCKLING---LEANING TO SW

10:29:25 NORTH TOWER IS LEANING

10:31:18 N TOWER POSS GETTING READY TO FALL

10:32:56 NORTH TOWER COLLAPSING

10:33:29 SECOND BUILDING CAME DOWN

10:33:42 ENTIRE TOWER DOWN

The calls from the second tower ceased with another rumbling roar. Incident No. 0727 ended with reports of the surviving EMS teams aiding the few survivors of what had first flashed on the screen just like a kitchen


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
:-(

1 posted on 09/30/2001 5:38:46 AM PDT by areafiftyone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: areafiftyone
I got about 1/3 of the way through this and had to stop. I have tears streaming down my face. Oh my God -- my heart is breaking for these people...
2 posted on 09/30/2001 5:56:43 AM PDT by alethia
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: areafiftyone
Nightmarish.
3 posted on 09/30/2001 5:59:58 AM PDT by billorites
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: alethia
I know - I was reluctant about posting this because it made me upset.
4 posted on 09/30/2001 6:00:43 AM PDT by areafiftyone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: areafiftyone
It is ghastly... nonetheless, thank you, because we must not, ever, forget the human cost of this.
5 posted on 09/30/2001 6:13:26 AM PDT by backhoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: areafiftyone
Maybe those ridiculous anti-war demonstrators should be forced to listen to these calls. Thanks for posting.
6 posted on 09/30/2001 7:14:35 AM PDT by KansasConservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: areafiftyone
Never forget.

Never forget.

7 posted on 09/30/2001 7:25:57 AM PDT by denydenydeny
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: denydenydeny
bump
8 posted on 09/30/2001 7:53:52 AM PDT by bobzeetwin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: KansasConservative
Interesting idea for counter protests, play the calls from a loudspeaker.
9 posted on 09/30/2001 8:44:41 AM PDT by TheDon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: areafiftyone
terrifying, I heard accounts from friends who witnessed it all, the jumping bodies, and how they got hit by debris in the street. We have a family member - fireman- missing. My cousin is now a 32yr old widow with 4 little girls. Heartwrenching. But reading this gives me yet another insight into the terror. The building which is being torn down now, wtc #4, my friend is alive cuz she left her office there to go get a bagel. All those people trapped - it is amazing that so many did get out alive... thanks for the post
10 posted on 09/30/2001 9:55:31 AM PDT by fredtaps
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: alethia

Bump - Never Forget !


11 posted on 03/26/2005 7:13:41 AM PST by Munch (BC in '04 (BUSH-CHENEY..... and BOSTON COLLEGE))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Munch

BTTT


12 posted on 03/26/2005 7:18:15 AM PST by Sam's Army (RIP Henry Lee II)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Sam's Army

bttt


13 posted on 03/26/2005 7:22:05 AM PST by prognostigaator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Munch

Hard to read, but I will never forget.


14 posted on 03/26/2005 7:24:53 AM PST by Semper911 (If Jimmy cracked corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson