story5143.xml
Title
story5143.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
The Emergency Operations Center was up and running.
I was at my desk at Fort Totten, NY when someone came to our office and said a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center. Remembering the bombing in Oklahoma City I needed to see the extent of the damage. I proceeded to the TV located in the emergency operations center in the next office. (The TV is kept on a news channel during duty hours just in case an emergency arises.)
The reports coming over the news channel were that a small plane had hit the World Trade Center. I went back to my office and said to a co-worker "Doesn't your brother work there"? She said no it was her cousin. "You had better call him and tell him to get out of there". So she picked up her cell phone and called him. To both of our surprise he answered the phone. She said "A plane just hit your building you had better get out of there". He replied that it was the other building that was hit and he was waiting for his friend and would leave shortly. She said "You better leave now"! (She was in NYC during the first bombing)
(Her cousin did make it out.)
I went back to watch the TV and saw the second plane strike. At that very moment, I knew that the first plane hit was no accident. An environmental hazard class was being conducted on the second floor in our building. I was the host of the class so I raced to tell them two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. The class was on break but the instructor was there. The instructor and I proceeded to the emergency operations center where a group had gathered to watch the news reports.
In less than two minutes from our return and about seven minutes total from when the second plane hit the world trade center, the civilian in charge told all non essential personnel to depart the office. "We are going to open the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for life saving coordination".
The primary staff was called to report to the EOC. The banks of computers were turned on and the phones checked. I remember the Medical Section was determining what military units had the mobile X-Ray machines and blood transfusion units. The engineers were checking to see what facilities were close to the WTC. The Logistics section was checking on vehicles and heavy equipment. The Emergency Operations Center was up and running. And then-the phones started to ring.
I was at my desk at Fort Totten, NY when someone came to our office and said a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center. Remembering the bombing in Oklahoma City I needed to see the extent of the damage. I proceeded to the TV located in the emergency operations center in the next office. (The TV is kept on a news channel during duty hours just in case an emergency arises.)
The reports coming over the news channel were that a small plane had hit the World Trade Center. I went back to my office and said to a co-worker "Doesn't your brother work there"? She said no it was her cousin. "You had better call him and tell him to get out of there". So she picked up her cell phone and called him. To both of our surprise he answered the phone. She said "A plane just hit your building you had better get out of there". He replied that it was the other building that was hit and he was waiting for his friend and would leave shortly. She said "You better leave now"! (She was in NYC during the first bombing)
(Her cousin did make it out.)
I went back to watch the TV and saw the second plane strike. At that very moment, I knew that the first plane hit was no accident. An environmental hazard class was being conducted on the second floor in our building. I was the host of the class so I raced to tell them two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. The class was on break but the instructor was there. The instructor and I proceeded to the emergency operations center where a group had gathered to watch the news reports.
In less than two minutes from our return and about seven minutes total from when the second plane hit the world trade center, the civilian in charge told all non essential personnel to depart the office. "We are going to open the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for life saving coordination".
The primary staff was called to report to the EOC. The banks of computers were turned on and the phones checked. I remember the Medical Section was determining what military units had the mobile X-Ray machines and blood transfusion units. The engineers were checking to see what facilities were close to the WTC. The Logistics section was checking on vehicles and heavy equipment. The Emergency Operations Center was up and running. And then-the phones started to ring.
Collection
Citation
“story5143.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 24, 2025, https://www.911digitalarchive.org/items/show/7128.