Inside the World Trade Center as the first tower fell. On a day well never forget. In Tower One, evacuate the building. 9 11. For some, September 11, 2001 seems a lyft ago. For others, it was just yesterday. But for everyone in this country, the ruthless attack that happened on that clear sunny day is seared in our minds. Good evening. Im denis leary. The entire nation gasped when the twin towers, reaching high into the sky, single bottoms of success were brought crashing down when two jetliners flew directly into them. Here are the names of the almost 3,000 innocent lives that were lost that day, including 343 of New Yorks bravest. Cnn is honored to bring you the epic film 9 11 that was born when two brothers with Film Maker James Hanlon was shooting a movie about a Rookie Fireman in the nypd. It was transformed into a gripping account of what happened while The Towers burned and then fell. They kept their cameras roeblgs capturing historic footage, heading towards danger in the area that became known as Ground Zero zero. When you work in the firehouse seven blocks from the two tallest buildings in New York, you get to know every step, every staircase, every story. Couldnt get too close to that. Im James Hanlon. Im a Film Maker and a firefighter at leader one downtown. During the summer before 9 11, there were days wed go to the Trade Center five times in a single shift. My point is we knew those towers as well as anybody. But nobody, nobody expected September 11. On that day, guys from my firehouse, my Best Friends were some of the first firefighters in the Tower One after the Plane Hit. What they did that day, what everyone there did is remarkable. Chief and almost as remarkable, it was captured on videotape inside The Tower, beginning to end. And tonight, youll see all of it. The tape was shot by two brothers. Jewels and gideon node. Holy shit. Theyre documentary makers and friends of mine. Theres always room for history. That day we were chosen to be the witness. The strange thing is, the tape, the whole story, it kind of happened by accident. I mean, we didnt mean to make a documentary about 9 11. We wanted to make a documentary about a firefighter. Thats how the whole thing got started. One, two, three, four. More to the point, the plan was to follow a rookie on the job. We coal them probies. Almost like a kid become a man in nine months. My names paul. Im john. Antonio. Tony. I was a Police Officer for a while i was a pizza man, actually, a pays man runs. This was my first job. I waned to be a hero. This is the only thing you can do to do that. This is the kid, this is the kid, lets go. We got tony assigned to my firehouse, one of the biggest in the city. Its ladder one. Theres a whole other company, engine 7. Their guys who fought some of the worst fires you can imagine. Soon, theyd face the unthinkable. Question was, would tony be ready . Im terrified. This is what i want to do but its its scary. Im still worried about how im going to actually react when theres fireflying over my head. Thing is, when youre a proby, what youre supposed to do change the sheets in the morning. Is pretty much of everything. Its 6 22 i got work to do i got a Job Baby i got work to do start up top and wash down. I think im doing decently. Im still waiting for a fire, thats all. Engine. We got that big long thing from the back here. Tony was nervous, of course. Should be nervous. And as the days would pass, tony waiting for his first fire, wanted to prove to the other guys, even more to himself that he was going to be a real great fireman. Thats how we do it. Its all part of learning how to handle people and situations. I say you got up there now, got your helmet on, your gear, got to get your mask on. How you going to do that . Youre not letting go. I dont know. Hey. For two weeks i got 672. 25. Couldnt even buy a six pack with that. I wanted to get rich, i would have become a lawyer. But i wanted something that id be able to live with for the rest of my life. This, i can live with. A lot of the Guys Dpooel feel that way. Get up in the morning and look yourself in the mirror and say youre doing something with your life. Hit the door. You do your job, you risk your life to help people. And to be part of a family at the firehouse. Hey la hey la my boyfriends back four weeks, five weeks, something like that and im still still no fire, but it will come. Probably when im asleep and not ready for it. Thats when it will come. 2 30 in the New York, bro. You cant sleep. When the alarm goes off well come and get you. Ok. Got the spare . Its going to be a fun 20 years. Fire over here. Theres the fire. See . Thats the line, put out the stakes. By the end of august, we knew that we had the great cooking show, and there were no fires, but every time we talk with some of the senior guys, be careful what you wish for. Yesterday, 27yearold Firefighter went to a job and he passed away. Well go to the funeral on saturday and what can you say . At the time, we didnt think there could be anything worse than losing a single firefighter. Looking back, we all just we were kind of innocent, especially tony. A bunch of the guys were talking about what parts usually get them at the funeral. When the coffin went past, that was that was a little i dont know. I dont know i hope its the last one. You have to be on top of your game. Yeah. Lot of things to think about. Tunnel vision. Thats whats going to keep you alive and thats whats going to give you the opportunity to help Anybody Else. Right. Fire or no fire, tony had learned a lot that summer. Sure, he had a ways to go, but weed teach him. As far as we knew, there was plenty of time. A few days later, jewels cooked a french Dinner Foer the guys, t least he decided to. Decided to cook leg of lamb. He picked one and he mu mutilated it. A spreadsheet. Couple more meals like this well be able to share shirts. We stayed up late, just telling jokes and busting chops. Best part of the meat. Even though the guys were making fun of us because we didnt cook enough, we had a great time. We are getting accepted. Great night. Little did we know. It was the night of september 10th. The work is harder the sun is hotter the days are longer too but out west the Ranch Water tastes colder which makes It Worth all that we do. Lone river Ranch Water Door Closes Door Closes excited Laughter Ahhh Ohhhh Fridge Closing Crowd Noises cheering Laughter Lisa here, has had many jobs. And all that experience has led her to a job that feels like home. With home instead, you too can become a caregiver to older adults. Apply today. A beautiful day today, sunshine throughout. Low humidity. Really a splendid fall afternoon. Tonight clear and cool, though. Its begun to sound like some sort of a cliche. But really, September 11 started out like every other day. I was off that day. 13 guys from my firehouse were on. Around 8 30 engine i believe the run came in. Get the run for odor of gas in The Street, i think it was. Odor of gas. You dont think anything of it. You go. Riding with the bah Tal Jhannian chief videotaping. Its just another call. Riding as the Battalion Chief. We checked the area with meters and it was kind of routine. It was 8 46 in the morning. Thats when this stopped resembling a normal day. Holy shit. Holy shit come on Holy Shit right then and there i knew this was going to be the worst day of my life as a firefighter. I knew this wasnt an accident. Oh, my gosh. Chief pfeiffer made the first official report. We have a number of floors On Fire. Looks like a plane is saimg aiming towards the building. Well have a staging area. Everyone was passing was looking up. Its like the world just stopped. Apparently getting a look at the World Trade Center. We have something that has happened here. A lot of smoke from one of The Towers. Whatever has occurred has just occurred, within minutes, and wierp trying to determine exactly what that is. As we swung around in front of the World Trade, my mind tells me, wow, this is bad. What do we do . What do we do for this . We parked right under the awning of World Trade Center. Chief puts his gear on. I asked him chief, can i come in with you . I want to come in with you. He says yes. You stay with me. Come with me and i go and i hear screams from right to my right. There were two people On Fire burning. I just didnt want to film that. It was like No One, No One should see this. Fighter was the first chief into the building. Right away, a guy from the Port Authority told him the damage is somewhere above the 78th Floor but all you had to do was look around. It was obvious something had had happened right there in the lobby. You just saw that part of the windows were blown out. The lobby looks like the Plane Hit the lobby. Later theyd figure out that flaming Jet Fuel has come down the elevator shaft. It was all over the place. Knew it was going to be worse when we got upstairs. Flames are shooting out. Smoke is pouring out. Get a team down there. My main concern was we had 20 floors of people above. And we had to figure out a way to get them out. As it turned out, we had no usable elevators. With the elevators out, there was only one way to get up there. Walk. Companies come in. You see them with a concerned look on their face. A and. The firefighter in full gear carrying 630 something pounds of Hose And Equipment takes about a minute to climb one flight of stairs. These guys were looking at 80 stories just to get there. Then, theyd start working. I thought that we were going to put the fire out. Everybody seemed to be confident. I know i was. You basically looked at it and said, ok, we got 10, 20 stories of fire, well deal with it. Well get up there. Well get to it. Fire crews are streaming into this area from every conceivable direction. By this time, some of the top chiefs in the department had joined Chief Peiffer, running the demand post, sending guys upstairs. One of the men who went up was lieutenant Kevin Piefr who was in charge of engine 33 and was the chiefs brother. I just remember we both looked at each other, said add few words and but it was more of a look of real concern that this was going to be something tough. Its going b to a tough job. Its going to be a long job. Theyll put it out. Thats what they do. The last time jewels had seen his brother was an hour ago at the firehouse. As far as jewels knee, hed followed tony, the proby into The Tower. So my brother is going up the stairs. It turns out gideon was with tony. Ladder one. But tony was still at the firehouse. No. I was off duty. Now hed been ordered to stay there. Everybodys been recalled. All available units must come back with the firehouse. While tony tried to keep up with the phones, gideon took his camera and started walking down towards the Trade Center. He was sure his brother was inside and he wanted to get to him. What really stick in my mind is passing by people and filming them and filming their astonishment. We were fitting the camera back and forth between the people and The Tower in front of me. Both towers of the World Trade aircraft have been hit by aircraft. Black smoke coming from both of The Towers. Its a horrific scene here. Mayday mayday. There were two planes. I saw the second one hit. Get the other calais. We knew there was a second Plane Hit and we had a lot of people trapped. Stay together, stay together. They know whats going on. Second plane now the chiefs would have to set up a whole other operation over in tower two. The Second Plane thats when we could see fear. You could see it in everybodys eyes. Right there. What are you going to do . All the others are blocked out. The staircases must be right . It was crowded. People were Coming Down burned. Upstairs in Tower One, the guys from Myfire House were now ten floors up and climbing. If we did talk, it was to the people Coming Down, trying to comfort them, trying to tell them its ok, Get Out. Stay calm. I saw a woman in the staircase. Her arms were burnt she was sitting there basically in shock. I picked her up under my arms and i put her with a group of guys, got some guys to take her down. I knew we had to get up to help people we had to get up there. I pretty much said im going up there. Theyre concern was to get everybody out. Thats the key. As much people out as possible. Most of the people in Tower One came out on the mezzanine above the lobby. Then theyd Get Out through another building. I want to use lobby seven as the chiefs didnt want anyone going through lobby doors. First, it was because the wind was blowing outside. Then, it was people falling. You dont see it but you know where it is and you know that every time you hear that crushing sound, its a life which is extinguished. Its not something you get used to. And the sound was so loud. As youre looking up thinking how bad is it up there that the better option is to jump. The fbi is now investigating reports of a Plane Hijacking before these crashes were telling you about at the World Trade Center towers this morning. Pieces of the building and the planes actually wound up blocks away. Gideon was walking with his camera when he found a chunk of the plain engine that crashed completely through tower two. Get out of here and just go. This is evidence. Youre kicking stuff. Whats the matter with you . That was as close as gideon would get to the Trade Center without a firefighter, anyway. So i decided the smartest thing to do was to slowly walk down to the firehouse and find a way to get to jewels. One of the two planes was lie jacked after takeoff from boston. This is two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent Terrorist Attack on our country. Reports of fire at the pentagon, fire at the pentagon being reported this morning. I was just saying that officials are calling it an act of terrorism, theyre saying thats clearly what it is, clearly not an accident. Back at the fire hose, he hasnt know what to do. War. This is war. Just by listening to him, freaking outs and swearing and behaving like ive never seen him behaving, tony was expressing what we all felt. Somebody has balls. Tony just wanted to go there. Its open from 43 up. In the lobby, the chiefs were trying to run the largest Rescue Operation any of them had ever seen. Got a phone thats working . I assume the entire world knew more than we did. Everybody has seen the attacks. Everybody had seen The Tower burning. [ speaking foreign language ] id seen the pentagon. For us, we didnt have a clue. I need that done now. On top of everything else, just talking to the guys in the Stair Well was tough. The towers internal Communication Center had been knocked out by the crash. That left Fire Department radio. Hundreds and hundreds of firefighters that have radios. Communication is becoming more and more difficult. One guy in the wtc who was trying franticly to reach anyone on the elevators. Im going through the most theres about 98 elevators. Middle of all this, suddenly an Ele Elevator opens and people dont have a clue whats going on because theyve been stuck in there since the first crash. We saw the look on the firef firefighters. It was not fear. It was whats going on. That made me panic a little bit. The first time i had seen father judge, the chaplain, as hes called, he was in the lobby with us and i could tell that he was praying. You know father joe, he would at least make Eye Contact you and try to give you a reassuring look. That wasnt occurring, almost like he knew this was not good. Back at the firehouse, off duty guys were starting to show up. Were just waiting right now. Whats that . Were just waiting right now. Tony was he just had one thing in his mind. This is bad. To go there, and he couldnt. Thats when chief arrived. Larry burns joined the Fire Department in 1957. He retired in 1998, a Battalion Chief. I couldnt wait. I had to get down there. Because you know what . Theyre my firefighters. Its my building. Its my city. Got a flashlight . Remember tony asking me to bring him some gloves, medical gloves. Got a box of gloves, go get a box of gloves. I rush back. There were gon. The proby and the retired chief were lost in the crowd, headed down to the Trade Center. I think at that point, the lobby was pretty empty. There was just a few of us in the lobby and we were discussion tactics. Tower one. Tower one. Some outsideline companies didnt know what Tower One was and tower two. So we were just trying to help them out by writing it on the desk to make it obvious to people. It was just before 10 00, a little over an hour since the first Plane Hit. Firefighters from all over the city were inside those towers, hundreds of them. I remember im filming Chief Peiffer and hes on the Radi O. For people who could use a lift new neutrogena® rapid firming. A Triplelift Serum with pure collagen. 92 saw visibly firmer skin in just 4 weeks. Neutrogena® for people with skin. Im still wowed by whats next. Even with higher Stroke Risk due to afib not caused by a Heart Valve problem. So if theres a better treatment than warfarin,. I want that. Eliquis. Eliquis reduces Stroke Risk better than warfarin. And has less major bleeding than warfarin. Eliquis has both. Dont Stop Taking Eliquis without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of stroke. Eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. 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Switch to Xfinity Mobile and save hundreds on your wireless bill. Plus, save up to 400 when you purchase a new Samsung Phone or upgrade your existing phone. Learn more at your local xfinity store today. The World Trade Center, South Tower, which was hit by a plain and racked by an explosion approximately an hour has totally collapsed. What happened . If youre just joining us this morning, youre in for a who ichk surprise. Scene here is right of what you see in hollywood. People are walking around in tears, holding their heads, looking up at whats left of the World Trade Center and shaking their heads in disbelief. Out on The Street, everyone knew what just happened. The South Tower was gone. They saw it collapse and ran. I waited. Time slowed down and everything became pitch black. Everybody all right . Yeah. Im ok. Hows the way out of here . Then realize, ok, im not dead. Right here lets turn on my Flood Light on my camera. Come down this way. Get out of the way come on back. Inside the Trade Center, all jewels and Chief Peiffer knew, all anyone knew was that something had gone terribly wrong. They asked me, help us out. We got to get everybody out. I was pointing my life where i was needed. I remember seeing people mobile units, evacuate the building. Man post all units. He gave it right away, very calm. Didnt wait. It was a precaution. Something wrong is happening. Lets get everybody out. And the tone of his voice, i knew it was no normal thing. I knew it was time to leave. I remember saying to the guys were on our own now. For the first time i looked in someone elses eyes and saw fear, which you dont see with fire. It was such a long walk, 21, 16, 14 13rks. I was going down the stairs, a number of firemen resting on the landing and telling them, you know, youve heard of mayday, Get Out of the building. I know a lot of them did not take it serious. I was just with my camera by my side. Trying to actually help someone and i realize d. The escalator where we were, i remember his White Collar and i opened up his shirt and i remember checking for his pulse and realizing at that time he was gone. We got four guys. Top of the escalator. Top of the escalator. After that, we had to figure out how to Get Out if you go out this way, right where we are now, people are still jump ing and its too dangerous. You cant go out this way. Chief peiffer tells the people carrying him, ok, stay here. Ill be back, wait here. Ill see you at the bridge. Chief peiffer went to check one of the foot bridges leaving out of the Trade Center, if it was still standing, it would be their best way out. I wonder for the first time if jooul is still alive. I never thought of that before. I realize that he could be dead that very moment. Gideon hitched a ride with three off duty firemen, determined to get to the Trade Center the only way they could. In a pickup truck. You walk and you walk and you walk. There are maydays being given and we start to figure out, ok, you cannot have that many maydays in all that dust and all that noise. Mayday mayday mayday. Thats when i felt the danger for the first time. It was all around you. I moon, every single cell of your body is telling you shouldnt be here. What he was telling me it was radically different. There was white powder everywhere. Got masks . I want to go in. Just a few people here and there and its kind of silent. Its straight down. Theres no word on casualties. Suffice to say the loss of life presumably high. Everyone is concerned getting north, getting away from the World Trade Center as well as finding out where their families are. The South Tower of the World Trade tower minutes ago collapsed to the ground. Only one tower is standing other this point. What is left of the World Trade Center. The fire continues to burn. By this time, Chief Peiffer had found a safe exit. And tried to radio the men in the lobby. No anti. We walked across the bridge back towards the Trade Center, still trying to call on the radio and not getting through. The guys that they left there, theyre not there anymore. They had already gone out another way, carrying the body of Father Michael Judge to st. Peters church. They laid his body on the altar. His Death Certificate is number 00001. The first official cause july of the attacks. The chief is eddie and jules walked outside. They closed into a scene that none of them could even comprehend. Theres debris covering everything. Theres dust. And we look and The Towers here. Its ok. Its standing. The other we cant see it. Its probably just on the other side. So we look now. Just trying to figure out what to place high and then try to gain some control. There was just a sense that this wasnt a good place to stay. Chief Fives Property was to set up a new Command Post and find his men. Right now, they were Coming Down the stairs. At some point, i started to run. I dont know even know if i was touching stairs on the way down. When i got about to three or two is when i started to think of my family. I said i got to Get Out of here. When we reached the lobby, i joked about t it. I said the Command Post was abandoned. The board was set up and nobody was there. I said, oh, this is not a good sign. I knew there was nothing i could really do. I mean, i was not a fireman. But as a cameraman, there was something i could do. And it was to document what was happening. The only thing i was my preoccupation was to clean my lens. Jules was with Chief Peiffer who was plotting his next move. The firefighters from my house has reached the lobby and scattered. Im kind of walking at this point. We were out of the building. Felt we were safe. There were people jumps out of windows. You could see them hitting the ground around you, debris hitting the ground. Lets move, come on, officers basically, everyone was stack in the shadow of Tower One. It was 10 28 in the morning. This huge roar. And i dont even have time to think at that point. I just run. Then i feel someone jumping on top of me and then the at that point i realize that i was going to die. We need help the only thing i could think about and irremember telling myself that if i would survive that, and i would be a better bro brother. Lets go. And its dead silence. Nothing. No radio calls, no sound, nothing. And i feel the person was on top of me get up. And i recognize its Chief Peiffers voice. I realized he was on top of me to protect me from all this. Chief peiffer said ok, lets go now. The dust starts to clear because the wind was blowing in the opposite direction. After that, it was just trying to walk around the block and walk back to the scene and see what we could do. Holy shit. The most surreal scene ive seen. I cannot describe what took place. It is a scene not to be believed. The smoke still billowing. What we do have is a walk down. You cant get in, you cant go out, you cant go up, you cant go down. Im fill in the middle of The Street and i see theres a delhi seems to be open in the corner. Lot of people injured. Firefighters. And then it hits me that now, where is my brother. I started realize ing. So i tried to go back to the World Trade Center and to go find my brother. Where are the zbhiez. I have no idea. Where is Chief Peiffer . And im in middle of the Street Walking and a cop approaches and said who are you. Im the Chief Of Police at the time. Oh, in taiwan . My letter. Take your left and your camera and Get Out of here, all right . Go. So i go back up, walk north, knot really knowing where im going. Making documentary on the Fire Department. Fine. This aint fucking disneyland, Get Out of here. Maybe go back there but at that point i just i think hes dead. It becomes too overwhelming. Its not easy being a survivor. The guys started toe come back one by one. I cant explain why im here. Guys crying, so many thoughts and emotions. We were in one. Two fell first and then they told us to Get Out. Two fell first . Thats why they were we got to call our loved ones, tell them we were ok. It was fucking sick. We just got out. We got out two blocks. Im still not far enough. Just needed to be with the guys, you know. Get back in. I was never so glad to see firemen in my life. It was a great thing to know that people were surviving this. God, am i glad to see you. We were the lucky ones. I dont think its luck. Its a miracle. Miracle isnt a word you hear much from firefighters, especially not on that day. What else could you call it . One guy after another was making it back safe. I cant believe we all made it out. How did we all make it out of the building . 30 seconds, another two flights hig higher. One guy from the firehouse came to me and i asked him, you know, i said have you seen jules. Do you know where he is . And he look at me and he said yes, hes behind you. And i turn over and he was there in the firehouse. I didnt even see him coming in. Like meeting for the first time. I asked are you all right . He tells me yes. He says he was all that time in the lobby. I am done. I know what its like now to think youre going to die. And then i tell him i got the first plane and i filmed and do you have enough tape . Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Ok . Yeah. Under. Yeah. Ok. Im fine. And it definitely was a miracle, you know. Worried about you. I didnt know what happened to you guys. Everybodys alive. Everybodys accounted for. And they would come back one by one to the house. Except one. Did you see tony . Thats what i heard. We were all accounted for except for tony. Everybody was wondering about tony. In one hand you celebrate. Somehow the guys from our house, they got out. We lost so much in that twohour period. And we felt like we got the hell kicked out of us. I dont know what toe do. Go back down there or what . At the same time, we knew hundreds of firefighters, thousands of people had to have died in those towers. And every hour that passed, we were more certain Tony Benitatos was one of them. Hey, guys, Deputy Chief Hill called, first division. He doesnt want Anybody Else down here right now. But the truth is, the guys had to go back. Had to start digging for survivors. I had to go back. And find the kid. Its gone, man. I got down there just as seven World Trade finally collapsed. No sign of tony anywhere. It had to be almost 6 00. Nine hours after everything started. Taupe just walked in. I walked in like a daze and they were all, hey, youre all right. How you doing . Good. You ok . What happened on your end . I was in the building. Were you . Is everyone from the house . Everyone . I just asked did everyone Get Back, and they were like, yeah. All right. That felt pretty good. I left here right after the first collapse. Turns out tony had been with Larry Burns the whole time. The probie and the retired chief. They were right there when Tower One came down. I checked on the rigs, there were rigs crushed, paramedics covered with rubble, fires burning everywhere. Huge fires. That whole day i just searched through, lifting chings up, checking underneath. Its hard. Very hard. Hes only been a firefighter for a couple of months, but he proved himself that day to all the guys, yeah. There was so much that we didnt know about that first day, who had attacked us, how, why, all we knew is that nothing would ever be the same. Guiliani held a News Conference saying its important not to lash out in anger because of the attacks. Yeah. One of the things that sticks with me more than everything i saw, as i sat down next to ted, he looked real bad. I said, tony, man, it was raining bodies. The roof of the area yacht, we were on the roof of the area yacht. There was parts all over the fucking lays. Legs, feet, it was nasty. The man had been through hell. Good evening. Today our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. A very depressed dismal, miserable mood losing firemen, thousands are gone. As quickly as you blow a match out, it was gone, thats it. Gone. Its hard to believe theyre not there. Theyre not there. It did happen, right . Its not something that im going to close my eyes and open them again and im going to see The Tower, right . Its not there. Around midnight we sent tony up to lower the flag to Half Mast again. There was going to be a lot to do in the future. A lot of guys, we all lost friends and family. I never want to put that thing at Half Mast again. Thats it. Its 24 on, 24 off. We got word that we start digging in the morning. Some of the guys with wives and kids went home just for a few hours. They knew it might be days before theyd see their families again. My son was sleeping. I picked him up and i put him in my bed. I wanted him to be with me. Normally i would take him out of my bed and put him in his own bed. This time, it was the opposite. He didnt mind that. It was twoufl see that smile again. Probably the best, best entrance i ever made Toe A Place and the kids came out and we just kind of all cried and one big hug and it was we just cried. More guys out here. Start a line. Came back to the firehouse the next day. I couldnt wait to Get Back, actually, because i wanted to get down. I figured were going to have plenty of people that are going to be trapped for sure. Were going to get them out. We have to. We always do. Were all alive. Thats more than we could have possibly hoped for. So our job now is to go and do whatever needs to be done and do it as much and as hard as we can for as long as theyll let us. Some of the guys took a City Bus down to what the media was already calling Ground Zero. You guys put them in your pockets. Some fireman called it the pile. For us, it was still the Trade Center, even if it was gone. High, guys, you hear three horns, that means something might be Coming Down. Keep your eyes open when youre walking around down there. And i just realized something that i always wanted to doan deny is how evil evil can be. 19 and 12. Form the companies, five men and an officer. Went to work right away, kind of look for survivors. Get some bakts down here. Guys were digging fast, passing those buckets quick. Digging franticly. Watch your back, guys. Wed be digging and all of a sudden everybody would say q quiet. The whole place would get quiet and people would look. We were slowly going back to work and start again, and thats thats how things went down there. Wed clear what we could by hand. And the iron workers would come in, cut the steal beams and lift them out. Then wed just start digging again. You have two 110story office buildings. You dont find a desk, a chair, you dont find a tele, a computer. The biggest piece of a telephone i found was half of the keypad and it was about this big. The building collapsed to dust. How are we supposed to find anybody in this if Theres Nothing left of the building. Bucket. We found a body. It was a girl. She was dead. She was definitely dead. All because she looked to be pregnant. Some people thought maybe she was just bloated, but i dont think. She was encased in rubble. We had her about halfway uncovered and getting the Body Bag ready and they told us to run. And we ran, so i never got to see if they got her outs. At least i got one person out, one family will be able to have a decent funeral. Our first shift was 24 hours and in all that time there was one person pulled out alive. One. It was beyond discouraging. It was even hard to understand. Walking back to the firehouse, people were cheering us. Thank you but we sure didnt feel like heroes. Every day total strangers were showing one supplies. Somebody said you could still use towels. Thank you for coming. I know its early in the operation here, but i just wanted to thank everyone for all the hard work that theyve been doing. How are we here . Only god knows, but again, guys, thank you so much. I really you have no idea. [ applause ] check the lockers, bro, check all the lockers. Listen, we tried to keep hope. But as days turned into weeks, you began to accept there just wasnt anybody to find. Yes, sir. Got another body over here. Day after day theyd push guys to their limit, maybe past it. Lot of guys dont know if they can do the job anywhere. I know its either this or the army now. And i like saving lives. I dont like taking them. But after what i saw, if they if my country decides to send me to go kill, ill do it. Every night the Fire Department would list out a list of firefighters confirmed dead and every night that list got longer. It is with regret that the department announces that the doet of the following members Battalion Chief John P. Williamson. Firefighter william henry. Firefighter eric t. Allen. Firefighter manual mohica. Firefighter there was so many people, that everybody has lost dear friends. Not just one or two but dozens. Most days there was a Memorial Service for some guy you knew. Some days two or three. Some days four. One of those services was for kevin peiffer, the chiefs brother. He was last seen in the stairs of Tower One directing guys to the fastest way out of the building. I would say Chief Peiffers brother saved my life. And i remember walking down west street, i just remember saying, you know, how much my brother and i used to love being downtown and doing this job and and how now i didnt love it anymore. Eventually we started going on runs again. Feels good, though. And trying our best to love the job again. But things will never be the way they were. They said lets make a documentary About A Boy becoming a man. During this ninemonth probationary heard. Turns identity tony became a man in about nine hours trying to help out on 9 11. Hes not bragging about it. Thats how we can tell. Do i feel like its given me a moral sense of selfworth . Yes. Has it made me a man whats a man . I think its so much the severity of an event that altars who you are. I think its how you intercept that changes who you are. We keep forgetting how many people were saved on that day. On 9 11, firefighters saved 20,000 people. To have that much respect for human life, im honored to be a fireman. And there you have it woah. Wireless on the most reliable network nationwide. Wow big deal . We get unlimited for just 30 bucks. Sweet, but mine has 5g included. Relax people, my wireless is crushing it. Thats because you all have Xfinity Mobile with your internet. Its wireless so good, it keeps one upping itself. Switch to Xfinity Mobile and save hundreds on your wireless bill. Plus, save up to 400 when you purchase a new Samsung Phone or upgrade your existing phone. 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The firefighters of engine 7 and ladder 1 have a new responsibility soaring over the neighborhood, the freedom tower. World Trade Center one. The firehouse on Duane Street is busier than ever. Only a handful from 9 11 are still there. One of them is john. The new guys coming on are just as good as the guys we had before. Theyre so eager to learn and work. Now im one of the old guys in a firehouse. Theres nothing like getting on a rig, Hauling Down Broadway with lights and sirens. Johnny mack, as hes called in the firehouse, had been there for eight years on September 11, 2001. It was just a terrible day and its tough being the hero. Thats why i dont like that whole thing and whatever anybody says about that. We were there. We saw it firsthand. For me, the best thing i ever did was stay at the firehouse and stay down there. I think that was my therapy. A lot of guys after 9 11 had a lot of trouble. Drinking and Depression And Post traumatic stress. Thats real. The only Support Groups were the firemen, the other men. Thats all. The firehouse for me. Have a good night. Bye. Still, that same firehouse for steve rogers, too. The firehouse is a big family. You have family at home and then the second family at the firehouse. When things happen everybody steps up and does the right thing. Thats what a family does. Thats what steve did when he rushed in to work on 9 11, his day off. I think 9 11 should be a national holiday. A lot of heroes that day. People doing extraordinary things and they should be remembered. Driving to work for 31 years, the changing skyline has a meaning for him. I used to come over the bridge from Staten Island and come to work and look at the skyline. For a long time there was nothing there. Now actually its it fills a void. It just makes you proud. Show you were not going to stand for it. Dennis retired in 2002. Even if 9 11 never happened, its a tough job to leave. Theres no other job like i. The brotherhood, camaraderie. He says not a day goes by without remembering. When my hid hits the pellow at night, i can see that Plane Hitting that tower. Its hard to believe theyre not there. Theyre not there. Thats etched in my mind and will always be there. The memories also used to haunt ron. He was promoted to chief the year after 9 11 and asked for a transfer. I felt like i wanted to leave because every Day Youd be driving by the site, so it was a reminder of my 343 guys. But the fdny had other plans for him. I thought for sure id be moved and the chief of the department said we lost so many guys in lower manhattan, im going to ask you to stay. Stay for two years and help us out down there to rebuild, rebuild the Fire Department, get us back to where we were. So i did. And after two years was up, i stayed. And i became the Battalion Chief and i watched the Fire Houses grow again. You walk through here and youre it was like a breath of Fresh Air to see the young guys coming back into the firehouse again but it took years and years for us to rebuild and Get Back to where we were. Now you look at the entire landscape down here has changed so fast, so rapidly, the High Rises that are going up, one building is bigger than the next. Seems like they cant build them big enough and they cant build them fast enough. Looking for waying to get firemen up to the fires, thats that many more people in the building to worry about. Worrying about the public safety is front and center for chris conor. He retired in the fndy and became a Construction Expert on construction sites. I was assigned to work back at the World Trade Center. I was back at the scene of the crime, so to speak, back in a prays i never wanted to go again. He spent seven years within the 16 acre site. It was still very much a hole in the ground when i started working there. You had to walk down a ten Story Ladder into the bottom of what we called The Pit as firefighters. Joishl as the low great construction was completed and the buildings started to come out of the ground, for me, thats when the magic happened. You really saw these beautiful, beautiful buildings. The first of five towers planned for the site opened in 2014. World Trade Center one. At 104 stories, 1776 feet high, its the tallest building in the united states. With a bomb resistant base and like most new High Rises, a concrete core. Theyve gone Above And Beyond the new York City building code, which is very strict. Also now open, the Marvel Transportation Hub with its startling sculpture, Oculus Joochl its the most expensive Train Station ever bill. Cost, 4 billion. Safety for the rebuilt area as well as all of new York City rests on the shoulder of fdny commissioner. The record of High Rise buildings is that they are safe. As the city continues to grow vertically and thats happening at such a rapid pace. We hope we have the ability to keep up with it. But it is certainly taxing to our people. Chief joseph peiffer, who lost his brother kevin, a lieutenant in the Fire Department, has turned that personal trauma into purpose. Thoughts of my brother and losing him on 9 11 actually shifts a lot of my own thinking about how we can make it safer for our firefighters. It was the Fdnys Chief of Counterterrorism And Emergency preparedness. Hes invited to speak around the world and went to paris after the november attacks. Let me tell you some of my nightmares. To share stroimgs with the french first responders. What were worried about is the Vesht Cal threat, multiple floors. One of the things we need to prepare for is to deal a Terrorist Attack on High Rise buildings. The use of Automatic Weapons and explosives. And the use of fire as a weapon. The 9 11 firefighters who now make up the fdnys top Brass Talk about managing the next attack. Terrorism is always on your mind today. So when this does happen again, i think we will be a little more prepared. Prepared so that nothing resembling that devastating death toll, losing 343 in one day, ever happens again. I would have to say that most of us who made it out that day have Survivors Guilt as somebody who was in charge that day, i probably have the biggest case in the department. But its something one must learn to live with. New York Firefighters are also learning to live with the physical toll working at Ground Zero took on so many of them. Diagnosed with a variety of cancers linked to breathing in that 9 11 dust. In 2006 we talked to retired chief Larry Burns about the Gathering Storm of disease. Theres something out there cooking in all of us, and i fear for what ten years are going to bring us. My beloved chief Larry Burns died from a 9 11related cancer. The third from the Duane Street fire highways. Now, there are words inscribed, firefighters who died from 9 11related diseases. Among them, john sullivan, who died of pancreatic cancer. His son mike is a legacy kid. The Fdnys Term for the new generation related to firefighters who died in the line of duty 9 11. Its not the day he passed away, but its the day that made him pass away. He works in upper manhattan, latter 34. The same firehouse as his father and grandfather. Well, hands down, the family and where i am. See your guys in the house, theyre so anaysing. Our uncles, now our brothers. Theyve thought me a lot between cooking, you know, thats the big thing. Watch out. Id spend my career own Hook And Ladder 34 because thats what i love. Its the most beautiful rig on the jobe. The tillers are you know, thats thats sexy right there. The Firehouses Street has been named for his father, John P. Sullivan way. The only thing that i can hope is that one day i make the impact at the end of my career, i could put my goots next to his. I dont want to fill his. I could never fill his. Im too emotional to fill his. Hes tough, tough box of nails that guy. Id do anything to have him back. You could have to job if it would mean my father standing in front of me today. All legacy kids are special. I think it says a lot about whats inside them. It most likely says a lot about their parents and their parents how they lived the their lives. It was at the 9 11, what i knew that i have to make sure that i get on this job for me wanting to always be a firefighter but for also me wanting to carry on my fathers legacy. Another legacy kid, smith. Her Dad Kevin was a has malt suspiciouslyist. He rushed to The Towers that day and never came home. Im going to be a firefighter one day. Im going to work with you, and he never said no. He never sewed no, i dont want you being a firefighter. No, you cant be a firefighter. Girls cant be firefighters. He never told me that. He would just smile. Hed look down and hed smile. Joseph even is now on the job with more than 11,000 men. I can tell do the job. I want them to be able to trust me that i can have their back just as much as they can have my back. I dont think theres a guy in the house that dont believe i cant do the job just as much as they can. My father is a hero. Hes someone i look up to still every day. Ridley joseph looks up to a hero, too, his brother carl henry joseph. My brother, being on the job, the number one reason i became a firefighter. His rig was down to zero, crushed. No remains have ever been recovered. He finds solace visiting the memorial. Trying to imagine like where he was, now that im a firefighter and trying to imagine how he felt that day. His Brothers Name is inscribed with all those who died at the reflecting pools next to the 9 11 museum. It holds a collection of more than 11,000 artifacts including Advise Ral reminders of all the firefighters who headed straight toward danger. A crushed Fire Truck that we remember seeing in The Street that day. Chief Peiffers Helmet is on display. To see bravery, to see Courage Right in front of you, for me has more of an imthat the fear experienced on that day. The brothers were made honorary members of the fdny. They have continued to live in New York and still make documentaries together. This film is all about home. Its about the best of humanity at a moment when the worst is there. I am now a director in hollywood. I am now a director in hollywood. I could to work and i direct television, and i go home at the end of the day. And when i lie in bed, my head hits the pillow, im like a firefighter. And everyone always asks about tony bennetatos, the probie from our film. Now being a lieutenant, being in the Fire Department and being able to make a difference, its the best, the best profession i could ever hope to have. Is it comfortable . He thinks he may have found the answer to the question what makes a man. Maybe getting up for work every day and then Coming Home and reading to your children and doing the dishes and taking care of your family. Maybe thats what defines a man. Family is at the center of the lives of all these firefighters we have had the privilege of getting to know over these years. Chiefs Son Steven is now a firefighter in manhattan. You had to go up 60 flights. I go to work and we go to fires, and you just do your job. You dont really think about the danger. Until my son got on, and i think for the first time i realized what my wife was going through for the last 30 years. Because i go off to work and she is wondering if im Coming Home the next day. They all say the horrors they witnessed and the challenges they face pale in comparison to the rewards of being on the job. Every day is a great day in the Fire Department. But the danger is always there. Oh we thought it distracted from the new Behr Dynasty Paint color. Let me take your coats. Because Behr Dynasty only takes. One. Coat. Behr dynasty. Go ahead, throw your wine on it. What . Stain repellent. Its also scuff resistant. Youre paying for that introducing Behr Dynasty™, the best of behr. Exclusively at the home depot. With clean, fresh ingredients, paneras new chicken, Sausage And Pepperoni flatbread is a mouthwatering explosion of yes. Craft . Yes heartiness . Yes living life to the flavorfullest . Heck yeah. Panera. Live your yes. Free delivery on our app. The Dove Beauty Bar makes my skin feel fresh. Ive encouraged serena my Best Friend to switch. Feels moisturized and clean. My friend stefanie, her skin was dry. Im like girl you better get you some dove. She hooked me up. With a quarter moisturising cream, Dove Cleans effectively and cares beautifully. Tonight, the Strength And Beauty of this city is on display once again. From the top of the freedom tower, one World Observatory now standing tall where the twin towers once stood, a symbol of this nations resolve, rebirth and resilience. Im denis leary. Thanks for watching and good night. Oh Danny Boy and down the mountainside, oh summers gone and all the flowers are dying Tis You, Tis You must go and i must die and i shall sleep in peace until you come to me the following is a cnn special report. 16 kids. My mom, she took a little extra time getting me prepared for the day. The children were facing President Bush and myself. School kids with a Front Row to history. Good morning. When he walked in a room, i was like oh, my gosh, thats him. This is actually the president. I could touch him if i wanted to reach at