story932.xml

story932.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-07-25

Sitting at home, enjoying a "Daddy Day" with my beautiful 3year old boy, before flying out to a professional convention the next day, my son comes up to me and says "Daddy, that's bad." I look up from the book I was reading to see the first tower in flames. I told my son that yes, that's bad, but the firemen there will make it better. As we watched, the second airplane hit the second tower, and my son looked into my eyes and asked my "Why did that plane hit the building." Shortly after, the announcement that a plane went in at the pentagon, and there were additional planes unaccounted for came on, and I knew at that point that I had to go. I carried my son to a neighbor, who agreed to watch him for me, kissed him, hugged him, and told him "Daddy has to go help." He said he loved me, and went inside. After responding to my station, firefighters and medics were arriving continuously. I was assigned to Medic 6-2 with Herb, Todd, and a detail man from Round Hill. We were transferred to Co. 15 who's units had already been deployed to the Pentagon. From there, we were grouped with additional units arriving from different parts of Loudoun, and moved to station 25 for briefing. The briefing was held in a somber tone, and we were told to change many of the ways we operate. No radio traffic, do not stop your vehicle, drive with the windows up, do not leave the vehicles unattended, do not answer the door to the stations, and many other directives turned our way of thinking upside down. The shock was continuous. Each of us was in a daze, only our training gave us direction to carry out our tasks. We were moved into neighboring Fairfax County early on, and placed in one of their stations, hiding our vehicles behind their firehouse so as not to make a target. Phones were continually busy, and when we got through, we were told not to tell anyone where we were. Soon the truth came out. We were the response force to be used if a second plane struck and wiped out our brothers at the pentagon. All that was left was to sit and watch the news, and feel helpless. A lot of pacing, and fidgeting was going on in that firehouse, building as the hours passed. Late that night, we were simply tod, "go home, there's nothing more to do." Once at home, with my family, one of the worst things I remember was watching the news coverage. One of the reporters was at ground zero, and commented on the funny noise they were hearing like a roar in the background. My wife asked me what that was, and in that instant, I wanted to shout at the TV, it was the sound of hundreds of PASS alarms sounding in the rubble.