Hi.
As many of you know, I'm a retired firefighter. I was a member of the Upstate NY Urban/Technical Search and Rescue Team (then called NYRRT-1, now called NYT-2) on September 11, 2001.
I was in my office at the Schenectady Fire Department when the planes hit the towers. When the first hit, I thought, "Oh, no- Accident!" , remembering that a plane had hit the Empire State Building in the 30s.
When the second collision took place, I just grabbed my roster, and headed to the office. I was in charge of the Paramedic Program, and knew that we had to make sure we knew who was on duty, who was available, and who we could send down with the Team.
Because of my job, I couldn't go until September 13. Even so, what I saw, smelled, and went through will always be a part of me, as were the S&R instructors from FDNY who had become friends, and who we lost in the collapses.
I spent two non-consecutive weeks at Ground Zero with the team; we were there to work - we saw some celebrities who came out, no makeup, no publicity, to volunteer their time (Ben Vereen stands out in my mind - he'd been a Salvation Army volunteer for 20 years, at that point), and some who came to gawk and be seen. I had no use for them. (And if you play baseball for the NY Yankees, you know EXACTLY who you are! Yes, I'm talking to YOU, D.J.!)
I only knew about 20 of the victims that day; there are a lot more that I'd have been proud to know. I think about them often, not just on September 11.
There are a lot of memorials today, all over the country. As I'm still in California, I had to decline taking part in one back home.
But I had my own.
At 5:30 Pacific Time, (8:30 in New York), I drove to the Camden Community Center in Campbell, CA, and sat on a park bench at the bus stop. I took out my Sceptre, and began to play, starting with "Simple Gifts/lord Of The Dance". Every song I played was one of celebration, thinking of the people who died- I don't want to mourn their loss, but the celebrate their lives.
At 5:45 (8:45 NY), I stop, for a moment of silence. ironically, there was one pervading sound at that moment - a jet flying overhead.
I played for another 15 minutes, then stopped again - this time, there was silence.
I finished with "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" - chorus only, because the verse gets really depressing - the packed up and went home.
And felt better.
I make one final recommendation for today - Please read the "Doonesbury" comic strip in today's newspaper (or on line). Garry Trudeau got it right.
-Kurt
As many of you know, I'm a retired firefighter. I was a member of the Upstate NY Urban/Technical Search and Rescue Team (then called NYRRT-1, now called NYT-2) on September 11, 2001.
I was in my office at the Schenectady Fire Department when the planes hit the towers. When the first hit, I thought, "Oh, no- Accident!" , remembering that a plane had hit the Empire State Building in the 30s.
When the second collision took place, I just grabbed my roster, and headed to the office. I was in charge of the Paramedic Program, and knew that we had to make sure we knew who was on duty, who was available, and who we could send down with the Team.
Because of my job, I couldn't go until September 13. Even so, what I saw, smelled, and went through will always be a part of me, as were the S&R instructors from FDNY who had become friends, and who we lost in the collapses.
I spent two non-consecutive weeks at Ground Zero with the team; we were there to work - we saw some celebrities who came out, no makeup, no publicity, to volunteer their time (Ben Vereen stands out in my mind - he'd been a Salvation Army volunteer for 20 years, at that point), and some who came to gawk and be seen. I had no use for them. (And if you play baseball for the NY Yankees, you know EXACTLY who you are! Yes, I'm talking to YOU, D.J.!)
I only knew about 20 of the victims that day; there are a lot more that I'd have been proud to know. I think about them often, not just on September 11.
There are a lot of memorials today, all over the country. As I'm still in California, I had to decline taking part in one back home.
But I had my own.
At 5:30 Pacific Time, (8:30 in New York), I drove to the Camden Community Center in Campbell, CA, and sat on a park bench at the bus stop. I took out my Sceptre, and began to play, starting with "Simple Gifts/lord Of The Dance". Every song I played was one of celebration, thinking of the people who died- I don't want to mourn their loss, but the celebrate their lives.
At 5:45 (8:45 NY), I stop, for a moment of silence. ironically, there was one pervading sound at that moment - a jet flying overhead.
I played for another 15 minutes, then stopped again - this time, there was silence.
I finished with "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" - chorus only, because the verse gets really depressing - the packed up and went home.
And felt better.
I make one final recommendation for today - Please read the "Doonesbury" comic strip in today's newspaper (or on line). Garry Trudeau got it right.
-Kurt
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