Video summary
The video highlights the extraordinary resilience of the New York Fire Department, particularly in the context of the tragic events of September 11th, which marks twenty-five years since that day that seemed to never end. The narrative begins with an instructor at the EMS Academy recalling the moment a plane struck the first tower of the World Trade Center, followed shortly by the second impact, signaling the start of what would become the largest emergency response in the department's history. Despite the chaos and devastation, the firefighters felt an intense sense of mission, driven by the urgent need to save lives even as the buildings collapsed around them.
During the initial rescue efforts, the team led a forward triage meeting to locate critical patients, only to discover that there were no survivors left to treat in the immediate aftermath of the collapse. Consequently, their mission shifted from saving lives to becoming a "Forward Morgue," tasked with identifying and recovering the thousands of victims over many months. This grueling search operation continued for years, contributing to the fact that people are still dying today from post-9/11 cancers. In total, 343 firefighters lost their lives on that single day, with an additional 451 members succumbing to injuries and illnesses in the years since, representing the largest loss of life in the department's history.
Despite the immense personal cost and the knowledge that many would not return home or would face fatal health consequences later, every first responder who stepped forward that day would have done so again without hesitation. The speaker emphasizes that for these heroes, protecting lives is their fundamental role in society, regardless of a person's origin, appearance, beliefs, or relationships. To them, every life holds equal value, and their commitment to serving fellow New Yorkers and visitors is so profound that they are willing to die for it, honoring a promise made twenty-five years ago never to forget the fallen.
Ultimately, while the Fire Department is globally recognized as the greatest in the world, the speaker insists that this legacy is not about individual experience or personal honor but rather about the people who were lost and the enduring spirit of those who remain. The department stands as a testament to extreme resilience and an unwavering dedication to service, ensuring that the memory of September 11th remains alive through their actions. This solemn commitment reflects a deep understanding that their duty transcends personal safety, embodying the true definition of heroism in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
Read the full video transcript
Do you want to see a picture of
resilience? That's New York.
>> A scene of chaos and devastation.
>> Frightening is perhaps even too mild a
word. So the complainers go boom. I I
heard it. You know,
>> this is the 25th year of the one day
that just never ended. On 911, I was at
the EMS Academy as as an instructor. We
heard that a a plane had hit
>> a plane the World Trade Center hit one
of the two towers of the World Trade
Center. But
>> very shortly after that, the second
plane came and hit the other tower.
>> And we knew at this point we were about
to engage in the biggest thing we've
ever seen.
>> I think we felt intense sense of
mission. more.
>> It It was unbelievable to see that these
buildings had fallen,
>> but these buildings had fallen on our
people
>> and the people in New York.
Room 8311. We have people trapped. Room
831.
>> So, my role was to lead the forward
triage meeting. I was part of a group
who was going to go down to the site and
look for critical patients. When my
group and I went down, it was not very
long before we figured out that there
was just no critical patients there.
There were no patients at all. In fact,
so we changed our mission and we became
the Forward Morg
>> the thousands of people in the fire
department that went there every day to
dig, to find, to search,
just went on for months and months.
which is why we're 25 years later and
people are still dying of post 911
cancers. And I I honestly don't see an
end in sight anytime soon.
I know a lot of people on on these
lists. As far as 9/11 goes, it was the
largest loss that we had at once in the
history of the fire department. 343 of
our members succumbed that day. Since
then, we have
451
additional members who have died as a
result of 9/11. I think any first
responder who responded that day. If
they knew in advance that they wouldn't
come home either on that day or they
would have cancer later on, every single
one of them would have continued to do
that job. I would have done it again.
And I think all of us would have because
that's our role in society. Our role in
society is about protecting the people
within the city
regardless of where they come from or
what they look like or who they love or
where they what they believe. It doesn't
matter. It doesn't matter to us as first
responders.
A life is a life and we're here to
protect that.
If you knew
what was going to happen,
would you still have gone to work? Raise
your hand if the answer is yes.
I I there's nothing more I can say.
I will say that this fire department is
is known throughout the world as the
greatest fire department in the world.
Being at the helm of this particular
organization, I I feel honored to be in
this role. But this year, 25 years
later, it's not about me, you know, it's
not about my experience. It's it's not
about anybody other than the people who
we lost from that day and along the way.
We are an extremely resilient department
with a high level of commitment to
serving our fellow New Yorkers and
visitors. like it. It is literally what
we would die for. We made a promise 25
years ago to never forget and it's a
promise we take very seriously.