A Nation Mourns… America’s Bravest Firefighter... · Out of area HMO reimbursement On September...

by Don ForrestSecretary

When Jim Perry, Editor ofthe “Los Angeles Firefighter”asked me to write an articleabout the World Trade Centerincident and my impressionswhile I was there, I said, “sure,I can do that.” Little did I real-ize how very difficult thatwould be.

I don’t know how one beginsto express the horror, outrage,disgust, pathos, compassionand all the other emotionsevoked in each of us by theevents of September 11. Thereare not enough words in Eng-lish, or any other language, toexpress the depth and complex-ity of the horror wrought onSeptember 11 by the terroristattacks on the World TradeCenter, the Pentagon and thejet that crashed in Pennsylva-nia. I’ll apologize in advancefor my inability to express ade-quately my feelings about whatI saw and the people and eventsthat touched me during the twoweeks I spent in New York.

I’m writing this article withone thing in mind. To honorthat “Band of Brothers” fromFDNY, Locals 94 and 854, whomade the ultimate sacrificewhile unselfishly and heroicallygoing about their jobs on Sep-tember 11 to save other people.While writing this as a firefight-er, focusing on the loss of ourbrothers, I mean no disrespect

to all the other victims who losttheir lives on that day.

Within hours of the attackon the World Trade Center, ourDepartment was organizing itsresources in case we wereneeded in New York. BothUSAR, Urban Search and Res-cue, and CISM, CriticalIncident Stress Management,teams were mobilized andstood ready to respond. And,as most of you know, the

LAFD ultimately sent oneUSAR team and a CISM team,nearly one hundred people.When Chief Bamattre askedme to accompany the CISMteam to assist with their tasksand to act as labor liaisonbetween the LAFD and theIAFF, and the two New York

City Locals, Uniformed FireFighters Association - Local94 and Uniformed Fire Offi-cers - Local 853, I washonored to be one of thoseselected. However, I didn’trealize at the time what atremendous honor it wouldultimately be for me.

LAFD Members Respond to New York

Because of the enormity ofthe event, everyone in ourdepartment, and I’m sure acrossthe nation, was experiencing adeep sense of frustration andhelplessness. Everyone wantedto go to New York to help out.Less than one hundred mem-bers from our department wereactually part of our officialteams sent to New York. Therewere, however, thirty to fortyother dedicated departmentmembers who paid their ownway back and arranged theirown time off to work in the res-cue efforts. Whether official orunofficial, the deep sense ofpersonal, organizational andnational need to go to New Yorkand do something, anything, tohelp out was the same foreveryone, and it was profound.

I personally was deeply hon-ored to be part of the LAFDteams, to witness the dedica-tion of the men and womenwho worked countless hours,often in harms way, giving uptwo weeks of their time awayfrom their families, friends andloved ones. It was inspiring tosay the least. What we saw at“ground zero” is virtuallyindescribable. The sounds and

by Ken BuzzellPresident

This edition of the LosAngeles Firefighter is dedicat-ed to the memory of ourBrothers from the Fire Depart-ment of New York who werekilled in the line of duty onSeptember 11, 2001.

Without hesitation or thoughtof their own personal safety,New York’s bravest thrustthemselves into harms way inan attempt to save the thou-sands of men and womentrapped in New York City’stallest building.

As the world watched thedestruction of the World TradeCenter, a common theme keptemerging. People were amazedat the courage of the firefight-ers who rushed ever higher intothe towering inferno, whileeveryone else was attemptingto make it down and out of thebuilding.

All have praised these menand called them heroes. Howev-er, those of us who knew themknow that they would havequickly and quietly brushedsuch talk aside and said, “wewere just doing our job.”

They were just doing theirjob -- the job of putting thelives of others before their own.

In dedicating this edition, let

us take pride and hide our sor-row in remembering the wayour Fallen Brothers did theirjob… as true American Heroes.

VOL. 39, NO. 6 November/December 2001

The

Los Angeles FirefighterOfficial Publication of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City—Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC

The Los Angeles Firefighter1571 Beverly Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90026(#ISSN01907573)

November/December, 2001

PERIODICALPostage Paid

atLos Angeles, CA

In This Issue . . .Article Page(s)Pension Update – Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2More Information on Life Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Courage Under Fire – The 21st Century’s First War Heroes . . . . 3,6The Men and Women of the IAFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4The LAFD Response to New York City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Dennis Smith Describes His Worst Nightmare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Who Are the Real Heroes of September 11, 2001? . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Grieving Behind the Badge – I’ve Lost a Loved One . . . . . . . . . . . 8Monsignor Chris…“My Experience in New York”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8LAFD USAR and CISM Teams to New York. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Fire Commissioner Tom Curry Addresses Fire Recruits . . . . . . . 11Open Enrollment for Blue Cross Medical Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

A Nation Mourns…

America’s Bravest

Dedicated to the FDNY

Reprinted with permission, Paul Conrad, Tribune Media Services, ©Copyright 2001

Personal Recollections of theWorld Trade Center Tragedy

“...horror, outrage, disgust, pathos, compassion”

Continued on page 5

September 11, 2001

Los Angeles Firefighter November/December 2001

These emblems on the masthead of any labor publication certifies that the publi-cation is a member in good standing of the International Labor Communications

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IAFF and AFL-CIO affiliates have prior approval to reprint or excerpt articles inthe Los Angeles Firefighter — Please include credit line.

Note: Photos and cartoons may not be reprinted without the expressed writtenpermission of the photographer or artist.

The Los Angeles Firefighter(ISSN #0190-7573)

Local 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLCOfficial Publication of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City is

Published Bi-MonthlyPeriodical Postage paid at Los Angeles, CA

Known Office of Publication isUnited Firefighters of Los Angeles City,

1571 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles,California 90026-5798

POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to Los Angeles Firefighters,1571 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90026-5798

Union Office Phone NumbersAdministration:

(213) 895-4006 - (213)485-2091 - Toll Free (800) 252-8352Benefits:

(213) 895-4990

Code-a-phone:

(213) 485-2090

FAX: (213) 250-5678

EAP Office: (213) 895-0910 or (800) 252-8352

EAP FAX: (213) 481-1038

EAP 24 Hr. Help LineAnswering Service: (213) 250-1212

AffiliationsInternational Assn. of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO-CLC

California Professional Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO-CLCL.A. County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO-CLC

California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO-CLC American Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO-CLC Los Angeles Fire and Police Protective League

International Labor Communications Association, AFL-CIO-CLCWestern Labor Communications Association, AFL-CIO-CLC

Los Angeles Firefighter Newspaper StaffJim Perry [email protected]

Member of the Communications Workers of AmericaCWA Local 9400, Southern California Newspaper Guild, AFL-CIO-CLC

Jerry Smith - Staff Writer

Contributing Photographers

Note: CFPA denotes membership in theCalifornia Fire Photographers Association

Bonnie Burrow

Isaac Burks, LAFD

Gene Blevins, CFPA

Keith Cullom, CFPA

Chris Jensen, CFPA

Brian Litt, CFPA

Rick McClure, LAFD

Mike Meadows, CFPA

Jeff Miller, CFPA

Martin Nate Rawner, CFPA

Boris Yaro

WESTERN LABOR COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION

This union newspaper is printed by a union printer on union-made recycled paper.

2000-2001 Executive BoardPRESIDENT

Kenneth E. Buzzell, Captain II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC OfficeSECRETARY

Don R. Forrest, Inspector I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FPBFIRST VICE PRESIDENT

Michael K. McOsker, Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 12-BSECOND VICE PRESIDENT

Dan McCarthy, Battalion Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Battalion 2-ATREASURER

Jim Galvin, Captain II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC OfficeDIRECTOR

James G. Featherstone, Captain I . . In-Service Training SectionLawrence D. Fierro, FF III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 90-ABrian K. Hishinuma, Captain II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 38-CPatrick S. McOsker, Engineer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 92-BStephen E. Norris, Captain II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fire Station 63-B

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE DIRECTORJerry Brakeman, RetiredFirefighter/Attendant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

EDITORJim Perry, Retired Captain II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UFLAC Office

Pension Update - Part II

by Ken BuzzellPresident

It is with a heavy heart that Iwrite this article, knowing that344 of our Brothers from NewYork will never see retirement.

The fact is, compared to theevents that occurred on Sep-tember 11, 2001, the followinginformation seems almost triv-ial. However, we do havemembers, both active andretired, who’s financial situa-tion will be affected by theissues listed below.

Out of area HMO reimbursement

On September 2, 2001, theCity Council’s Personnel Com-mittee recommended approvalof the ordinance to providehealth insurance premiumreimbursement for retiredmembers of the Fire and PolicePension System who live out-side of the City’s managedhealth plan areas.

As part of the 1996-2000MOU’s for Firefighters andPolice Officers, the City signeda letter of intent to providereimbursement for healthinsurance premiums to retiredmembers who could not enrollin one of the City’s managedcare health plans (HMO’s)because they lived outside ofCalifornia or outside the HMOzip code service areas.

Unfortunately, because onlya few of our members were

initially affected, the prior Cityadministration took no interestin helping move the enablingordinance through the bureau-cratic process.

However, the situationchanged dramatically in Janu-ary of this year due to changesin federal law. Several hundredretirees and spouses living outof state or in Northern Califor-nia were told that their HMOhealth coverage was cancelled.Many also found out that ifthey signed up for an HMOplan in the area where theylived they would not receivethe City health subsidy.

This measure will rectify thecurrent situation by allowingretirees living outside theCity’s managed health planareas to enroll in a local HMOand be reimbursed for themedical premium cost up tothe limit of their health subsidyamount.

At UFLAC’s request, staffagreed to recommend an effec-tive date of January 1, 2001.After hearing input fromUFLAC, Council membersDennis Zine and Cindy Mis-cikowski concurred with thechange and sent the ordinanceforward to the Budget andFinance Committee where itwill be considered beforegoing to the full City Councilfor approval.

Tier 5 and Retiree Dental Subsidy

Work on passing theenabling ordinances for Tier 5and the new retiree dental sub-sidy continues. Unfortunately,as of the date of this article, nohearing dates had been set bythe City Council.

The Pension Departmentbegan holding informationalmeetings the last week of Sep-tember to explain the ramifica-tions of switching from Tiers 2,3 and 4 to Tier 5.

In addition, the pension staff

is nearing completion of all thepreparatory work - hiring staff,securing office space andequipment, and computer pro-gramming - that will be neededto implement these programs.

The goal of everyoneinvolved is to have both ofthese programs operational onJanuary 1, 2002, but the actualdate will remain uncertain untilthe ordinances are approved.

Deferred RetirementOption Plan (DROP)

On October 4, 2001, the CityAdministrative Office (CAO)released copies of the actuarialvaluation study for DROP.

The CAO’s office presentedthe actuarial report to theCity’s Executive EmployeeRelations Committee on Octo-ber 9 in order to receive bar-gaining instructions.

Because of where we are inthe process, it is obvious thatthe DROP program will not beon line by January. Negotiationsmust be completed, the ordi-nance language must be drafted,committee hearings must beheld, the Council must approvethe ordinance and then wait atleast 30 days to approve it a sec-ond time (as required by theCity Charter for new pensionbenefits), then it must be pub-lished in a newspaper before theprogram goes on line.

In addition, the PensionDepartment must develop anew accounting system to han-dle DROP. Staff’s best esti-mate is that it could take twoto three months to have thesystem operational.

Further complicating mat-ters, the Pension staff cannotbegin work on the softwarepackage until the ordinance isdrafted, because no one will besure of the benefits and restric-tions until then.

In short, it could be as longas April before the DROP pro-gram becomes available.

More information on…

Life Insurance

by Jim GalvinTreasurer

The Life Insurance Plan openenrollment for active membersduring the month of May wasonce again very successful. Asyou may already be aware,each year there is an openenrollment period duringwhich active members mayincrease their coverage subjectto certain restrictions.

This year the maximum cov-

erage amount was increasedfrom $300,000 to $400,000. Aslong as you were alreadyenrolled in the program andhad not previously been deniedan increase in coverage bymedical underwriting, youwere allowed to increase to anylevel of coverage without fill-ing out a health statement. Thiswas a one-time opportunity.There will be an open enroll-ment next year, however, at thistime the details have not beenworked out.

These annual open enroll-ment periods are an excellentopportunity for members toincrease their coverage withoutthe need for underwriting. Youmay request to increase yourcoverage at any time, however,you would need to complete ahealth statement and be subjectto underwriting for anyincrease. The UFLAC LifeInsurance program for activemembers provides up to

$400,000 of life insurance plusan equal amount of accidentaldeath and dismemberment cov-erage at very competitive rates.In addition, for active membersthe first $50,000 of coverage ispaid for by the UFLAC negoti-ated city subsidy.

To obtain additional informa-tion on the UFLAC LifeInsurance program call theBenefits Office at (213) 895-4990.

On another note regardinglife insurance, we are at timesasked by members, both activeand retired, about increasingtheir coverage over the amountavailable through UFLAC. Onesource we recommend is Cali-fornia Public Agency InsuranceServices, Inc. (CPAIS). Youmay call them toll free at (800)778-1989. Ask for Ron andidentify yourself as a memberof United Firefighters of LosAngeles City. He will be happyto assist you.

November/December 2001 Los Angeles Firefighter

Courage under Fire…

The 21st Century’s First War Heroesby Peggy Noonan

Contributing Editor© 2001 Wall Street Journal

October 5, 2001Permission to reprint grantedto the Los Angeles Firefighter

for one time use.Forgive me. I’m going to

return to a story that has beenwell documented the past fewweeks, and I ask your indul-gence. So much has beenhappening, there are so manythings to say, and yet my mindwill not leave one thing: thefiremen, and what they did.

Although their heroism hasbeen widely celebrated, I don’tthink we have quite gotten itsmeaning, or fully apprehendedits dimensions. But what theydid that day, on Sept. 11—whatthe firemen who took thosestairs and entered those build-ings did—was to enterAmerican history, and Westernhistory. They gave us the kindof story you tell your grand-children about. I don’t think I’llever get over it, and I don’tthink my city will either.

What they did is not a part ofthe story but the heart of thestory.

Here in my neighborhood inthe East 90s many of us nowknow the names of our firemenand the location of our fire-house. We know how manymen we lost (eight). We bringfood and gifts and checks andbooks to the firehouse, we sign

big valentines of love, and yetof course none of it is enoughor will ever be enough.

Every day our two greattabloids list the memorials andwakes and funeral services.They do reports: Yesterday at afireman’s funeral they played“Stairway to Heaven.” Thesewere the funerals for yesterday:

Captain Terence Hatton, ofRescue 1—the elite unit thatwas among the first at the Tow-ers—at 10 a.m. at SaintPatrick’s Cathedral on FifthAvenue.

Lt. Timothy Higgins of Spe-cial Operations at St. ElizabethAnn Seton Church, on PortionRoad in Lake Ronkonkoma,out in Long Island.

Firefighter Ruben Correa ofEngine 74 at Holy TrinityCatholic Church on West 82ndStreet, in Manhattan.

Firefighter Douglas Miller ofRescue 5, at St. Joseph’sChurch on Avenue F in Mata-moras, Pa.

Firefighter Mark Whitford ofEngine 23, at St Mary’s Churchon Goshen Avenue in Washing-tonville, N.Y.

Firefighter Neil Leavy ofEngine 217 at Our Lady Queenof Peace, on New Dorp Lane inStaten Island.

Firefighter John Heffernan ofLadder 11 at Saint CamillusChurch in Rockaway, Queens.

And every day our tabloidsrun wallet-size pictures of the

firemen, with little capsule bios.Firefighter Stephen Siller ofSquad 1, for instance, is sur-vived by wife, Sarah, daughtersKatherine, Olivia and Genevieveand sons Jake and Stephen, andby brothers Russell, George andFrank, and sisters Mary, Janiceand Virginia.

What the papers are doing—showing you that the firemanhad a name and the name had aface and the face had a life—isgood. But it of course it is notenough, it can never be enough.

We all of course know thecentral fact: There were twobig buildings and there were5,000-plus people and it was8:48 in the morning on a bril-liant blue day. And then 45minutes later the people andthe buildings were gone. Theyjust went away. As I write thisalmost three weeks later, I actu-ally think: That couldn’t betrue. But it’s true. That is prettymuch where New Yorkers arein the grieving process: “Thatcouldn’t be true. It’s true.” Fivethousand dead! “That couldn’tbe true. It’s true.” And morethan 300 firemen dead. Threehundred firemen. This is thepart that reorders your mindwhen you think of it. For mostof the 5,000 dead were there—they just happened to be there,in the buildings, at their desksor selling coffee or returning e-mail. But the 300 didn’t happento be there, they went there. In

the now-famous phrase, theyran into the burning buildingand not out of the burningbuilding. They ran up the stairs,not down, they went into it andnot out of it. They didn’t flee,they charged. It was just before9 a.m. and the shift was chang-ing, but the outgoing shiftraced to the towers and theincoming shift raced withthem. That’s one reason somany were there so quickly,and the losses were so heavy.Because no one went home.They all came.

And one after another theyslapped on their gear and ranup the stairs. They did this tosave lives. Of all the numberswe’ve learned since Sept. 11,we don’t know and will proba-bly never know how manypeople that day were savedfrom the flames and collapse.But the number that has beenbandied about is 20,000—20,000 who lived because theythought quickly or were luckyor prayed hard or met up with(were carried by, comforted by,dragged by) a fireman.

I say fireman and not “fire-fighter.” We’re all supposed tosay firefighter, but they were allmen, great men, and fireman isa good word. Firemen put outfires and save people, they takepeople who can’t walk andsling them over their shoulderslike a sack of potatoes and takethem to safety. That’s what they

do for a living. You think toyourself: Do we pay themenough? You realize: We could-n’t possibly pay them enough.And in any case a career likethat is not about money.

I’m still not getting to thething I want to say.

It’s that what the New YorkFire Department did—whatthose men did on that brilliantblue day in September—waslike D-Day. It was daring andbrilliant and brave, and the factof it—the fact that they did it,charging into harm’s way—changed the world we live in.They brought love into a storyabout hate—for only love willmake you enter fire. Talk aboutyour Greatest Generation—thegreatest generation is the great-est pieces of any generation,and right now that is: them.

So it was like D-Day, but itwas also like the charge of theLight Brigade. Into the towerof death strode the three hun-dred. And though we continueto need reporters to tell us allthe facts, to find out the storiesof what the firemen did in thosetowers, and though reportershave done a wonderful, pro-foundly appreciative job ofthat, what we need most now isdifferent.

We need a poet. We need awriter of ballads and song tocapture what happened there asthe big men in big black rubber

Continued on page 6

©SusanLernerPhoto.com





One strong dedicated Union…

The Men and Women of the IAFF

by Aaron EspyFrom the opposite side of the

continent I watched as theevents of Black Tuesdayunfolded on our eastern shore. Ifelt the same shock, pain anddisbelief that every member ofour union must have felt. Amidthe sorrow and anger, I foundmyself asking, “what good canpossibly come from this?” Ifound one answer in the spon-taneous outpouring of publicsupport for men and womenwho proudly call themselvesprofessional firefighters.

For IAFF members, perhapsSeptember 11th marks a turning

point in how our public viewsus. Never before have unionfirefighters laid down their livesin such large numbers for theirfellow citizens. New York’sunfathomable loss brands uponour nation’s collective memorythe stark price we pay, the riskwe take, each time we attempt arescue or attack a fire.

In sprawling cities, heartlandtowns and rural fire districtsacross the U.S. and Canada,union firefighters make similarsacrifices and take similar risksas did New York’s bravest. Thebuildings we rush into may notjut skyward as high as theWTC towers. Potential victimsmay not number in the thou-sands. But day in and day out,our members willingly, unhesi-tatingly launch themselves intothe teeth of death and injury forthe sake of their fellow man.

Maybe our nation can collec-tively forget our sacrifices whenlives lost are tallied on the fin-gers of one hand, but sheermagnitude of this terrible event

and the collective courage withwhich it was answered willensure there will be no such for-getfulness this time. And maybe,just maybe, our nation now cangrasp the depth of dedication andcommitment professional fire-fighters bring to their firestations, to their cities, to theircountry. The very same courageand dedication that drove hun-dreds of our comrades into thoseskyscrapers burns just as brightlyin the hearts of some 245,000 oftheir union brothers and sisters.

Today America realizes, asthey wouldn’t have, couldn’thave before, what a collectivehuman treasure they possess inthe men and women of theIAFF. From where I stand,that’s a glimmer of sunlightcutting across an otherwisedark horizon.

FirefightersStanding in the Gap, these,Of Courage and Honor,Who place themselvesBetween the fire and its prey.

They give themselves to defend life And livelihoodOf those they do not know,Protecting all that is cherished.

They garrison our streets, Keeping vigil over our cities and burgs,Day by day,Waging a never-ending battleAgainst a nemesis who would strikeIn a thousand different places.

They claim no distinguishing featureFrom legions of othersSave their unselfishnessAnd depth of commitmentTo those they share life with.

They are professional firefighters, who,For their great sacrificeAsk no moreThan the respectOf those they serve.

…Aaron EspyCaptain, Mason County FD, IAFF Local 3876

The Firehouse Poet



Redmond Symposium…

Fire Fighters Hear Gripping Account of New York’s Fallen

Sept. 25, 2001 — Delegatesat the Redmond Symposium inPhoenix, Arizona heard a grip-ping first-hand account of theevents of Sept. 11 at the WorldTrade Center in New York fromsomeone who was there. Dr.David Prezant, Deputy MedicalDirector of FDNY, witnessedthe heroic efforts of fire fight-ers at the scene, from the timeof the first alarm to the tragictower collapses and the contin-uing rescue efforts at the site.

Prezant brought with him astunning video of the disasterand its aftermath, with footageshot by the FDNY and not seenon television. Fire fighterswatched in awe as the video, setto inspiring music, portrayed theterror and destruction, then theheroic rescue efforts at the site.

While the massive rescueeffort launched immediatelyafter the terrorist attacks andthe tragedy of the subsequentbuilding collapses are etcheddeeply in the memories ofeveryone, “it’s becoming moreand more important and moreand more part of this wholeprocess to start really talkingabout all we’ve done after this,”

Dr. Prezant said, commendingthe IAFF for moving quickly inresponse to the disaster.

The very next day, when theshock of the situation was set-ting in and the rescue effort infull swing, “the IAFF was onthe ground,” he said. “Yourleadership, your locals weremobilized. Frankly, your sup-port honors us. It exceeds whatwe could have hoped for.”

Dr. Prezant was on the sceneshortly after the first alarmswere sounded Sept. 11, anddescribed the chaos of beingnear ground zero, and talkedextensively about incidentcommand at the site, which hadto be moved when it becameevident the second tower wasabout to collapse.

“Rescue, evacuation and sup-pression continued throughoutthe second attack, the first col-lapse and unfortunately throughthe second collapse. After theattacks, “the stairwells werefilled not only with citizens ontheir way down, but fire fighterson their way up, with only onemission - to help get themdown,” he said.

“When they decided to go

into that building, that was themost heroic moment. The firedepartment wasn’t defeated thatday, it won when fire fightersran into that second buildingnumber two knowing that build-ing number one had collapsed.”

He talked about the difficulttask that fire fighters faced asthey descended on the rubble ofthe World Trade Center, theimportance of Critical IncidentStress Management, and the factthat it is an integral element ofthe department’s response to thetragedy. Prezant addressed sever-al other initiatives such asrespiratory protection, vaccina-tions, rest and rehabilitation andhealth surveillance through theIAFF Wellness-Fitness Program.

“On that day, our tallestbuildings fell, but it’s very clearthat on that day and in the after-math, our citizens and our firefighters stood tall,” he said.

Dr. Prezant’s address endedwith an emotional on-screentribute to New York’s fallen.More than 1,400 IAFF membersin the Phoenix Civic Plaza stoodin complete silence as photo-graphs of their fallen brotherswere shown on the video screen.


smells at the site, rescue work-ers covered in gray dust, toomany FDNY Brothers withthat “thousand yard stare”,sadness and fatigue on eachface, knowing that each ofthem carries the need, the hopethat somewhere in “the pile”there’s a pocket with some oftheir Brothers just waiting tobe rescued. You could sensethe urgency they felt, the frus-tration and pain. If they couldjust find one Brother alive.That one hope keeps themgoing.

Impromptu MemorialWe visited fire station after

fire station where hundreds ofcandles, flowers, stuffed ani-mals, ribbons and Americanflags filled the fire stations,spilling on to the sidewalks,becoming impromptu memori-als. And the pictures of themissing Brothers - 3 at one sta-tion, 5 at another, 11 here, 15there and more. How can thispossibly be? Standing in frontof one station and looking atthe pictures of 15 youngmen…15 Brothers wiped out inone quick moment. It fills mewith deep sadness.

The noblest of callingsEmotionally, it brings you to

your knees. Station after stationwith 344 FDNY Brothers lost.They were sons, brothers,uncles, cousins, husbands andfathers who won’t be cominghome to hold their children,kiss their wives or spendThanksgiving and Christmaswith family and friends. Sadlythey were lost doing what theyloved doing. Being a firefight-er. The noblest of callings,knowing that day or night,

regardless of weather, at anygiven moment you stand readyto tackle emergency situationsthat range from difficult toimpossible. Often required tolook squarely into the face ofdeath, they do not considerthemselves heroes. They’ll tellyou they’re just doing their job.But, we know they are skilledwarriors and teams trained todo tough, dangerous jobs anddo them well. Webster definesa hero as:

a) a mythological or leg-endary figure often of divinedecent or endowed with greatstrength or ability;

b) an illustrious warrior; c) a man admired for his

achievements and noble quali-ties and

d) one that shows greatcourage.

“greater love hath no man…”

On September 11, our FDNYBrothers were all of thesethings and more.

A quote that comes to mindand perhaps is most appropri-ate and befitting not only forthe World Trade Center inci-

dent but for our profession -“greater love hath no man thanto give up his life for another.”That certainly rang loud andtrue on September 11.

Those of us who went toNew York and participated inthe World Trade Center inci-dent, worked or stood at“ground zero” and talked to ourFDNY Brothers will be pro-foundly changed forever. Wewill share a bond that few oth-ers ever will. We did what wecould to ease the pain of allthose we came in contact with.Hopefully we did just that. Ihumbly share this unique bondof pride and honor with a smallgroup of dedicated men andwomen from the LAFD andUFLAC.

“They are all heroes”I don’t think we can ever do

an adequate job of explainingto the public what we do asfirefighters, more importantly,why we do it. Listening to asurvivor who escaped from oneof the upper floors of the WorldTrade Center, while beinginterviewed by the media helpsput it in perspective. “Those

guys are nuts!” “We’re all try-ing to get the hell down and outas fast as we can and we runinto the firemen and they’regoing up - absolutely no fear intheir faces, and they tell us‘don’t panic, just keep goingand don’t stop until we’re allthe way down.’ I’ll never forgettheir bravery. They’re allheroes.” But that’s what we do.And I don’t think we can everreally explain that to a civilian.

The tragic loss of 344 of ourBrothers in New York will for-ever change us. But asfirefighters we will not relentin our duties. We will continueto stand tall, walk proudly,with tears in our eyes and painand sadness in our hearts. Wewill never forget our Brothersin New York, and will continuedoing what we’ve always done.We will always be there whenthe public needs us and we willkeep on going in when every-one else is running out.

God Bless Firefightersand their families…God Bless America!

Personal Recollections of the World Trade Center TragedyContinued from page 1

Heidi Forrest welcomes husband Don home from

New York

by Pat McOskerDirector

Years from now, each of uswill remember where we wereand what we were doing at themoment we first learned of theterrorist attack on the WorldTrade Center in New York City.The intensity of emotion as wewatched an unspeakable horrorunfold on live network televi-sion has forever seared thatmoment into our hearts andminds. Many of the feelingsexperienced by firefighters dur-ing and after the attacks onSeptember 11th are shared byall Americans. Grief, outrage,pride, and patriotism are but afew of those that come to mind.But for firefighters, the cut waseven deeper. The blood sacri-fice of so many of our brothersstirred up emotions that couldonly be felt and fully under-stood by fellow firefighters.

“the brotherhood of fire-fighters was at it’s best”In the days after the tragedy,

a burning desire to help was theimpulse of every LAFD fire-fighter, and of firefighters fromall over the country. Each oneof us wanted to be right there atground zero, working shoulder

to shoulder with our New Yorkbrothers. As FDNY memberslater observed, “the brother-hood of firefighters was at it’sbest.” Ultimately, three luckygroups from the LAFD traveledto New York and helped in theeffort. We can all be proud ofwhat they accomplished, andthey are deserving of ourrecognition.

LAFD Urban Search andRescue Team

The first group of LAFD fire-fighters to arrive in New Yorkwas our Urban Search and Res-cue Team. Our USAR Teamwas at the top of FEMA’s dis-patch list, and they went toNew York as part of the federalresponse. By all accounts, theyperformed admirably underdangerous conditions, and didall that was asked of them andmore. Their return to LosAngeles after 10 days atground zero was marked by awell deserved hero’s welcomeat LAX, followed by anappearance on the TonightShow by a representative groupof 3 team members.

LAFD CISM TeamOur Critical Incident Stress

Management Team beganarriving in New York two daysafter the USAR Team. Techni-cally this group had not beendispatched to New York. Thatis to say that neither the FDNYnor FEMA had actually made arequest for help when the teamwas initially sent to groundzero. Nevertheless, LAFDmanagement anticipated aneed, wanted to help, and “self-dispatched” our CISM peopleto New York. Sure enough, theneed for firefighter stress man-

agement at the site of the WTCcollapse was enormous. Ourteam was quickly absorbed intothe FEMA effort. Once againour people came through andwere able to help our FDNYbrothers. The warm receptionthe CISM team received upontheir return was fitting.

LAFD “Freelancers”The third group of LAFD

members who helped in NewYork has been called “the free-lancers”. They were the 30 to40 firefighters who flew toNew York on their own, withthe simple goal of finding anyway to help. These “givers”represent the best of what fire-fighters are all about. Ourfreelancers arranged time off attheir expense, paid for theirown transportation, lodging,and meals, and literally spenttheir “vacations” in New YorkCity lending a hand. But beforethey left Los Angeles, theyfaced some obstacles that theothers had not.

LAFD Management discouraged members

from going to NYCAt some point management

had become aware of their inten-tions. An “all chiefs meeting”was called, and at that meetingbattalion chiefs were instructedto visit each fire station and todiscourage firefighters fromtraveling to New York to help inthe effort. As those visits weretaking place, a teletype noticewent out to the field. The noticecharacterized travel from theLos Angeles area as somethingakin to the abandonment ofone’s post, and strongly advisedagainst the “self-dispatch” toNew York by LAFD firefighters.

Finally, on September 19th a let-ter from the Fire Chief was sentto all work locations. The letterlectured firefighters concerningtheir responsibility to protect theCity of Los Angeles, andwarned, “faltering in this man-date will not be tolerated”. Manyfirefighters took all of this as animplied threat of discipline foranyone ignoring these warnings.

No Stopping LAFD Members

But these givers were deter-mined to help. Several of themcalled UFLAC Board membersfor advice. They were told thatthe department had no right toimpose travel restrictions orotherwise control the legalactivities of off-duty firefight-

ers. That settled, they finalizedtheir plans. Less than one weekafter the attack on the WTC,these LAFD ambassadors,dressed in fresh UFLAC teeshirts, headed for New YorkCity on some of the first com-mercial flights allowed out ofLos Angeles

…perfect example of thebrotherhood of

firefightersWhat happened next sur-

prised even me. Our boyssimply showed up at FDNYfirehouses with words of con-dolence, and an offer to help inany way needed. They pro-fessed a willingness to cook, toclean, whatever. Their attitude

The LAFD Response to New York CityThe blood sacrifice of so many of our brothers stirred up emotions that

could only be felt and fully understood by fellow firefighters

Reprinted with permissionPaul Conrad, Tribune Media Services, ©Copyright 2001

Continued on page 9


coats and big boots and hardpeaked hats lugged 50 and 100pounds of gear up into the hor-ror and heat, charging upward,going up so sure, calm andfast—so humorously, some ofthem, cracking mild jokes—that some of the people on thestairwell next to them, goingdown, trying to escape, couldn’thelp but stop and turn and say,“Thank you,” and “Be careful,son,” and some of them tookpictures. I have one. On the dayafter the horror, when the firstphotos of what happened insidethe towers were posted on theInternet, I went to them. Andone was so eloquent—a black-and-white picture that wasalmost a blur: a big, black-cladback heading upward in thedark, and on his back, in shakydouble-vision letters becausethe person taking the picturewas shaking, it said “Byrne.”

Just Byrne. But it suggestedto me a world. An Irish kidfrom Brooklyn, where a lot ofthe Byrnes settled when theyarrived in America. Now helives maybe on Long Island, inMassapequa or Huntington.Maybe third-generation Ameri-can, maybe in his 30s, grew upin the ‘70s when America wasgetting crazy, but became whathis father might have been,maybe was: a fireman. I printedcopies of the picture, and mybrother found the fireman’sface and first name in the paper.His name was Patrick Byrne.He was among the missing.

Patrick Byrne was my grandfa-ther’s name, and is my cousin’sname. I showed it to my sonand said, “Never forget this—ever.”

The Light Brigade had Ten-nyson. It was the middle of theCrimean War and the best ofthe British light cavalrycharged on open terrain in theBattle of Balaclava. Of the 600men who went in, almost halfwere killed or wounded, andwhen England’s poet laureate,Alfred Lord Tennyson, learnedof it, he turned it into one of themost famous poems of a daywhen poems were famous:

Their’s not to make reply,Their’s not to reason why,Their’s but to do and die:Into the valley of DeathRode the six hundred.Cannon to right of them,Cannon to left of them,Cannon in front of themVolley’d and thunder’d:Stormed at with shot and shell,Boldly they rode and well,Into the jaws of Death,Into the mouth of HellRode the six hundred.

I don’t think young peopleare taught that poem anymore;it’s martial and patriarchal, andeven if it weren’t it’s cornball.But then, if a Hollywoodscreenwriter five weeks agowrote a story in which build-ings came down and 300firemen sacrificed their lives tosave others, the men at the stu-dios would say: Nah, too

cornball. That couldn’t be true.But it’s true.

Brave men do brave things.After Sept. 11 a friend of minesaid something that startled mewith its simple truth. He said,“Everyone died as the personthey were.” I shook my head.He said, “Everyone died whothey were. A guy who ran downquicker than everyone and did-n’t help anyone—that was him.The guy who ran to get the oldlady and was hit by debris—that’s who he was. They alldied who they were.”

Who were the firemen? TheChristian scholar and author OsGuinness said the other night inManhattan that horror andtragedy crack open the humanheart and force the beauty out. Itis in terrible times that peoplewith great goodness insidebecome most themselves. “Thereal mystery,” he added, “is notthe mystery of evil but the mys-tery of goodness.” Maybe it’sbecause of that mystery thatfiremen themselves usuallycan’t tell you why they do whatthey do. “It’s the job,” they say,and it is, and it is more than that.

So: The firemen were roughrepositories of grace. Theywere the goodness that comesout when society is crackedopen. They were responsible.They took responsibility underconditions of chaos. They didtheir job under heavy fire,stood their ground, claimednew ground, moved forwardlike soldiers against the enemy.They charged.

There is another great poetand another great charge, Pick-ett’s charge, at Gettysburg. Thepoet, playwright and historianStephen Vincent Benet wroteof Pickett and his men in hisgreat poetic epic of the CivilWar, “John Brown’s Body”:

There was a death-torn mileof broken ground to cross,

And a low stone wall at theend, and behind it the SecondCorps,

And behind that force anoth-er, fresh men who had notfought.

They started to cross thatground. The guns began to tearthem.

From the hills they say that itseemed more like a sea than awave,

A sea continually torn bystones flung out of the sky,

And yet, as it came, still clos-ing, closing, and rolling on,

As the moving sea closesover the flaws and rips of thetide.

But the men would not stop:You could mark the path that

they took by the dead that theyleft behind, . . .

And yet they came on unceas-ing, the fifteen thousand nomore,

And the blue Virginia flag didnot fall, did not fall, did notfall.

The center line held to theend, he wrote, and didn’t breakuntil it wasn’t there anymore.

The firemen were like that.

And like the soldiers of old,from Pickett’s men through D-Day, they gave us a moment inhistory that has left us speech-less with gratitude andamazement, and maybe relief,too. We still make men like that.We’re still making their kind.Then that must be who we are.

We are entering an epicstruggle, and the firemen gaveus a great gift when they gaveus this knowledge that day.They changed a great deal bybeing who they were.

They deserve a poet, and apoem. At the very least a mon-ument. I enjoy the talk aboutbuilding it bigger, higher, betterand maybe we’ll do that. ButI’m one of those who thinks:Make it a memory. The piecesof the towers that are left, thatstill stand, look like pieces of acathedral. Keep some of it.Make it part of a memorial.And at the center of it—not apart of it but at the heart of it—bronze statues of firemenlooking up with awe and reso-lution at what they faced. Andhave them grabbing their hel-mets and gear as if they wererunning toward it, as if they arerunning in.

_____________

Editor’s Note: 344 Firefight-ers dead at press time.

Ms. Noonan suggests that Fire-fighters “deserve a poet, and apoem.” We have such a person inCaptain Aaron Espy also knownas The Firehouse Poet. Aaron’slatest book “Standing in theGap” is available at book stores.

The 21st Century’s First War HeroesContinued from page 3



Before Care Comes Courage

An ER doctor without apatient is a useless man in anempty room. Nearly everypatient gets delivered to me bysomeone in a uniform. Withouta fireman or paramedic or copyou will die somewhere “outthere” – and the center of thecountry’s largest city may aswell be wilderness.

That was New York on Tues-day, when about 300 rescuersdied, running upward aroundand around the narrow escapesteps of the World Trade Cen-ter. They were racing forpeople who still had a chance,trying to bring them out. As thesecond tower crumbled intoitself, knowing that those menand women were strugglingupward against gravity and allcommon sense instincts thendownward to death, my heartbroke. I have seen a lot as adoctor, but I think that momentwas my worst.

Big disaster or small, oursickest patients come neatlypackaged. The firemen havedone the heavy lifting, literally,peeling open crushed cars orsmashing through plaster andglass with brute force. Brokennecks are Velcro-ed into plasticC-collars, crushed legs careful-ly placed in cardboard splintsthat look like long stem roseboxes, and wrenched backs tiedstraight to hard wooden back-

boards. Once I was handed atiny piece of a patient’s scalp,dwarfed in a calloused fire-man’s hand, looking like a littleblond golf divot in a tiny plas-tic bag. He simply said wemight need it.

Most days, these men andwomen are almost invisible tous. They roll the patients in andtell “the doc” the story. We lis-ten for important clues — chestpain, or “KO” – but our mindsare a few steps ahead, and sothey lift the patient onto thebed, and wheel quietly away.Some of them I know by name,not many. I try to thank them,most times. Sometimes I for-get. I won’t anymore.

ER docs pride ourselves onbeing “spearhead” doctors –the first to see the patient in achaotic environment minutesafter an injury, doing heroicthings that make a difference.Sometimes we do, but we arenever in peril for our own lives.Nobody is trying to kill mewhile I work, the floor isn’tgoing to collapse or the roomexplode while I do my job. Ifthere is an accident, or a fire ordisaster, someone will comelooking for you, and if you getto the ER, you have a chance.But that someone won’t be me,or any doctor. It will be one ofthese heroes, these angels,

Continued on page 9

by Mark Morocco, M.D.Reprinted with permission of Dr. Morocco

(Doctor Files, Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2001)


Dennis Smith, Firehouse® Magazine Founder Describes His Worst Nightmare

Editor’s note: Dennis Smith,a retired New York City Fire-fighter is the founding editor ofFirehouse®Magazine and bestselling author of “Report fromEngine 82” and other books.Dennis arrived on the WTCscene September 11th shortlyafter the second tower col-lapsed. This is his story…JP

The second tower has justcollapsed. I am at Ladder 16,and the firefighters have com-mandeered a crowded 67thStreet cross-town bus. We gowithout stopping from Lexing-ton Avenue to the stagingcenter on Amsterdam. We don’ttalk much on the bus, and not asingle passenger complainsabout missing his or her stop.

At Amsterdam we boardanother bus, and here the quietis broken by a Lieutenant whosays, “We’ll see things todaywe shouldn’t have to see, andthere will be things we mightthink we should attend to, butlisten up, we’ll do it together.We’ll be together, and we’ll allcome back together boys.” Heopens a box of dust masks andgives two to each of us.

It is like approaching a beachas we walk down West Street,passing hundreds of waitingemergency vehicles. First thereis a little concrete dust, likepowdered soft sand, and thensuddenly every step kicks up a

cloud. There is paper debriseverywhere, strewn betweenwindow casings, air condition-er grates, and large chunks ofwhat had once been the talleststructures in the world.

We report to the commandchief who is standing ankledeep in mud between the WorldTrade Center and the WorldFinancial Center. The originalcommand chief, Peter Ganci,along with the physical com-mand center are missing, nowsomewhere beneath thesemountains of cracked concreteand bent steel of the secondcollapse.

Just before that collapse, afalling woman killed a fire-fighter, and Father Judge wasgiving him the last rites. BillFeehan, the First Deputy Com-missioner, was standing next tothem. And then the buildingcame down.

Now, several hundred fire-fighters are milling about.There is not much for us to doexcept pull hose from one loca-tion to another as a pumper anda ladder truck are repositioned.It is like the eye of a storm,eerily quiet, and so unlike themultiple alarm emergencies Iam used to. No sirens. No heli-copters. Just the sound of twohose lines, watering the six sto-ries of the hotel on West Streetthat are still standing. The lowcackle of the department radios

fade into solemn air. The dan-ger is now presented by theburning 47-story buildingbefore us, just to the north ofthe World Trade Center. Thecommand chief has ordered thefirefighters from that building,and we are now waiting for it tocollapse.

I went to see the destructionfrom the Liberty Street side ofthe buildings, and I travelthrough the World FinancialCenter, the headquarters ofAmerican Express and MerrillLynch. There has been a com-plete evacuation, and I am theonly person in the building. Itseems the building has beenabandoned for fifty years, forthere are several inches of duston the floors. The large andbeautiful atrium of the buildingis in ruins, the east side wallcompletely demolished, andthe glass canopy above brokenthrough and hanging in largeand threatening pieces.

Because of the pervasivegray dusting, I cannot read thestreet signs as I make my wayto the other side. Many carsand trucks are overturned.From here I can see the gapingholes in the side of the VerizonBuilding. There is a lone firecompany down a narrow streetwetting down a smolderingpile. The mountains of debrisin every direction are fifty andsixty feet high. I am still

stunned by the wreckage, and itis only now that I begin to thinkof the human toll, of the silentthousands that are unseenbefore me in this utter ruin.

I am again on the West Streetside, and the chiefs begin topush us back towards the Hud-son. Number 7 is about to fall,and when it does, we all thinkto run for cover, into stores,behind ambulances, around acorner. But, it is an incrediblething to watch a 47-story build-ing fall. The regality of a highbuilding is transformed in a fewseconds to mere rubble. And,now I think that this buildinghas fallen on those we seek.

No one wants to say a num-ber. We know that entirecompanies are unaccountedfor. The department’s elitesquads, Rescue 1, Rescue 2,Rescue 3, and Rescue 4 are notheard from. Just last week Italked with a group of Rescue 1firefighters about the difficultand rigid prerequisites to getinto the rescue companies - theendorsements from other com-pany commanders and the testsof mechanical and engineeringskills. I remember thinkingthen that these were trulyunusual men, smart andthoughtful, the kind of meninto whose arms I would putthe lives of my children.

I know the captain of Rescue1, Terry Hatten. He is married

to the Mayor’s assistant, BethPatrone, and one of those uni-versally loved and respectedmen in the job. I think aboutTerry, and about Paddy Brown.Paddy is one of a small cadre ofmost decorated firefighters inthe history of the department,and in the nineties he was onthe front page of all the news-papers when he lowered one ofhis men on a rope to pick up avictim in a Times Square fire.

And I think of Brian Hickey,the Captain of Rescue 4, whojust last month survived theblast of the Astoria fire thatkilled three firefighters, includ-ing two of his own men. Iremember the sadness in hiseyes at the funerals. And,now…. He was working withRescue 3 today. And then thereis Ray Downey, the BattalionChief who led the FDNY col-lapse specialists to OklahomaCity, a solid and giving man.

I am pulling a heavy six-inchhose through the muck when Isee Mike Carter, the Vice-pres-ident of the firefighters union,on the hose just before me.He’s a good friend, and webarely say hello to each other. Isee Kevin Gallagher, the unionpresident, who is looking forhis son who is unaccounted for.Someone calls to me. It isJimmy Boyle, the retired presi-dent of the union, the man who

Continued on page 9

Who Are the Real Heroes of September 11, 2001?

by: Jerry SmithCaptain, LAFD Retired

www.emergencygrapevine.comIt does my heart proud when

an outsider, a distinguishedwriter like author Peggy Noonanpours her sympathetic heart intowanting to define the heart andsoul of FDNY’s most bravestwho challenged the atrocity ofSeptember 11, 2001. Her articlein the Wall Street Journal titled“Courage Under Fire” (seepage 3) is a public relations gemfor the fire-rescue servicearound the world.

We need more influential citi-zens like Peggy Noonan tobroadcast to the world what thefire-rescue service is really allabout…and that’s saving livesand property, no matter what.Yes Peggy, you can tell theworld what the FDNY did onthis day of infamy and I quote:“was brilliant and daring andbrave, and the fact of it—thefact that they did it, charginginto harm’s way—changed theworld we live in. They broughtlove into a story about hate—for

only love will make you enterfire. Talk about your GreatestGeneration—the greatest gen-eration is the greatest pieces ofany generation, and right nowthat is: them.”

Peggy, we try our level bestto look at every emergency sit-uation with a degree ofexperienced aptitude that offerssome degree of safety, if wedidn’t, we wouldn’t survivevery long. Yes, risk versusgain should be in every inci-dent commander’s initial attackplan. However, there are warn-ing signs that we don’t see, andthat’s when and where the realdanger of our profession comesto light. In spite of all this, theFDNY knew going in - therewere thousands of men andwomen trapped inside the fieryWorld Trade Center complex,they had no other options but togo inside to search and rescueand extinguish the fire.

Did the FDNY know the 110-story World Trade Center twintowers would collapse withinsuch a short period; no they didnot? However, it’s not in a fire-fighter’s purview to second-guessthe unforeseen. No matter howmenacing and frightful an inci-dent may appear, it makes nodifference, we still go in, providedthe atmosphere will sustain somedegree of life in the beginning.

Peggy Noonan compares theentry of the FDNY into the twintowers as the charge of the lightbrigade, and yes, they quicklyentered an inferno of incompre-hensible dimensions, as shecalled it, the “Tower of Death.”

Please Peggy and other giftedwriters like you, don’t stopwriting about the brave fire-fighters in New York andelsewhere, this country of oursneeds to quit taking firefightersfor granted, as they are veryspecial human beings who lovewhat they do. And what thecourageous FDNY performedon 9-11-01 was proof positiveof just how far they would taketheir dedication of love for thejob and their love for the citi-zens of New York City.

The WTC twin towersclaimed young and olderFDNY members. Like Battal-ion Chief Ray Downey, age 63,with forty years of service. Hewas last seen in the north towerbefore it collapsed. As his sonwould tell you: “Ray Downeylived and breathed the FDNY.If my father was to go, this isthe way he would choose.”

Firefighter Thomas Foley,age 32, a recipient of a medalof valor in 2000. Tom was actu-ally going off duty when thealarm sounded, he couldn’tresist responding to the WTC,as the love he carried for theFDNY and the city it protectedwas a call to great to ignore.And for Father Mychal Judge,age 68, the beloved FDNYchaplain was administering lastrights to a fatally wounded fire-fighter when debris from abovefell on him and he died doingwhat he loved, tending to hisFDNY flock.

God Bless Our Fallen Heroes

UFLAC Secretary Don Forrest visits FDNY Engine 23. Sevenmembers of E-23 lost their lives at the World Trade Center.

Photos by Jerry Brakeman, Director, UFLAC-EAP

by Peggy Sweeney RainoneThe love of a family member

or a special friend is a gift tocherish. It is a love that is givenand received unconditionally.When they die, our hearts arefilled with overwhelming sad-ness. Life without them willnever be the same. Our emo-tions run rampant and ourseemingly normal lives spiralinto a frightening and darkabyss where pain, lonelinessand grief become constantcompanions. Surviving thispersonal loss is, at times,almost unbearable.

How does one survive?Before we can learn to cope

with pain and grief, we mustfirst understand why we feeland respond to traumatic eventsas we do. In any loss—divorce,loss of a friendship or job, orthe death of a loved one—there

is grief and mourning. Grief isan individual’s feelings andthoughts following a loss. Griefis the emotional, physical, men-tal, and even spiritual responseshuman beings experience whentheir dreams and plans for lifetake an unexpected turn.Mourning is an outward expres-sion (crying) to these feelings.Grief and mourning are normal,healthy responses. Every one ofus journeys through grief in ourown way and on our own timeschedule. To expect anythingdifferent is impossible.

The stronger the emotionalbond, the more intense

the grief reactions.

When someone dies, ourresponse to this loss is equal toour relationship with this per-son. The stronger the emotionalbond, the more intense the griefreactions. To illustrate, thedeath of a mere acquaintancepales in comparison to thedeath of a much-loved familymember or lifelong friend.

When someone dies sudden-ly—auto accident, heart attack,

or line of duty death—we donot have the opportunity to saygood-bye, make amends forpast indiscretions, or tell thedeceased the depth of our love.In contrast, when a loved onedies from a long-term illness(anticipated death) we mayhave had the good fortune toprepare for the loss. This is notto say that we will not grievefollowing an anticipated death.Rather, the length of time forour grieving and the extent ofour pain may be lessenedsomewhat because we had theopportunity to express ourthoughts, vocalize our love,help them prepare for death,and put closure to their life.

Healing grief is not an easy task

Your grief journey is similarto a roller coaster ride. Justwhen you think you are doingbetter, something—a song, amemory, a special holiday—will plunge you into despair.Rejoice in the good momentsand days you have; they willhelp you survive the morepainful and lonely ones. Surviv-

ing a loss takes a very long time;many months or even years. Getplenty of rest, eat healthy, andexercise. Keep a journal of yourthoughts and experiences. Bydoing this, you can documentyour healing and your reinvest-ments in life and living. It’s okto cry; this is not a sign of weak-ness. You are not going crazy!You are very normal.

There are many lessons to belearned on the journey throughgrief. Our lives are like a tapes-try woven over time with eventsand memories of people whohave touched our lives. Sometapestries are simple, while oth-ers are intricate and sewn withmany colors. Each tapestry is aunique masterpiece. The tapes-try you continue to weave willreflect your individual pain andsadness, loneliness and longing,love and memories.

This special person hastouched your life in manyways. During their life, theyshared their gifts and talentsand have taught you the mean-ing of life and love. Take yourmemories and become a morewarm, loving, and caring per-

son. Reach out to those lessfortunate or who may be hurt-ing emotionally and share withthem all you have learned fromyour grief experience. By rein-vesting in life and sharing lovewith others, you will honor thisspecial person who has touchedyour life in so many ways.

_____________

Peggy Rainone is an EMTstudent, a former firefighter,graduate and former boardmember of Leadership WeakleyCounty (TN), graduate of theMartin (TN) Citizen’s PoliceAcademy, and past president ofthe Martin Citizen’s PoliceAcademy Alumni Association.She is a contributing editor forseveral emergency service andlaw enforcement publicationsincluding The Los Angeles Fire-fighter, Vine Lines Magazine,Responder Magazine, andPoliceOne.com.

Copyright ©2001 Peggy Sweeney Rainone.

All rights reserved.Editor’s Note:

Subsequent to the horrificterrorist attacks on 9-11, Icalled Peggy Rainone, anexpert on grief counseling. Iasked Peggy if she would writean article for those who lostloved ones in New York, Wash-ington D.C. and Pennsylvania.Within a day, Peggy submittedthis article. Thanks Peggy…JP


Grieving behind the badge…

I’ve Lost a Loved OneEvery one of us journeys through grief in our

own way and on our own time schedule…

An open letter from LAFD Chaplin Monsignor Christian Van Liefde…

“My Experience in New York”

Dearest Sisters and Brothers,As most of you know, I had

the privilege of going to NewYork with a team of about 100firefighters from our Los Ange-les Fire Department. I say‘privilege’ because it was that,a privilege for me to representour department and our Churchin this very difficult situation.I’ve had a chance to speak tomany of you about this experi-ence, but I wanted to send thisout to everyone on my list, soyou’re all aware of what hap-pened to me.

FEMA Calls LAFD forAssistance

Like most of you, I wasshocked and speechless as Iwatched the news that morningand saw the collapse of theTwin Towers and the attack onthe Pentagon. Our fire depart-ment received a call fromFEMA (Federal EmergencyManagement Administration),and preparations were made tosend our LAFD USAR (UrbanSearch And Rescue) TaskForce to New York. These are agroup of about 70 firefighterswho have been specially

trained in search and rescue incollapsed buildings. Withinabout 12 hours, they were ontheir way to New York via U.S.Air Force transport planes.

Prepared to Depart for New York

On Wednesday, September12, I received a call from ourfire department asking me if Icould go to New York to assistwith CISM (Critical IncidentStress Management). This is afancy word for counseling peo-ple who have gone through aserious emotional trauma. Withthe support of the other priestsin the parish, I was able to clearmy calendar and make myselfavailable. On Thursday, Sep-tember 13, our CISM team (23chaplains and counselors fromour department) went to LosAngeles Airport to go to NewYork. We were actually on theplane and ready to go, but theflight was cancelled becausethe airports in New York wereshut down again. We finally gota flight out on Saturday, Sep-tember 15, and arrived in NewYork about 6:00 PM.

All together, I spent oneentire week there, returning onSaturday, September 22. Dur-ing that week, I saw the worstand the best that we as God’schildren can do.

The sight was so incredible, so overwhelming

The worst was obviously theincredible destruction in NewYork. Ground Zero actually

covers about 4-6 square blocksand the debris is 10 storieshigh. When I first stood before“the pile”, I could hardly moveor speak. The sight was soincredible, so overwhelming.We ended up spending 12-hourshifts at Ground Zero and Ispent 4 shifts there. During thattime, I had the opportunity oftalking to 300-400 firefighters,primarily from New York, butfrom all over the country. Ieven had a chance to talk witha special search team fromFrance. They came with theirspecially trained dogs to searchfor survivors. Sadly, after aboutthe first 24 hours, there were nomore survivors.

I want to highlight oneexperience that I had

I spent about an hour talkingto a retired captain from theNew York Fire Department. Hehad retired about 2 years agoafter 35 years as a firefighter.We sat there and he cried in myarms because he had 2 sonswho were missing. It was aheartbreaking experience to sitand listen to him. I found theNew York firefighters veryappreciative of my presence.About 90% of them areCatholic, Irish and Italian, andthey were so glad that a priestwas there, a chaplain whounderstood what they weregoing through. You might haveheard that their chaplain, Fr.Mychal Judge, was killed in thecollapse while blessing a fire-fighter who had just died. Hewas kneeling beside him, pray-

ing over his body, as debriscame down and killed him.What more powerful exam-ple of what the priesthood isall about!!!! I heard a lot ofconfessions during those hoursthere, I saw a lot of tears, and alot of courage. Much has beensaid lately about the courageand bravery of our firefighters.I’ve always known that, and Iam proud and humbled to beable to serve as a chaplain.

Fire Station VisitationsOne of the other things that

we were able to do is visit someof the fire stations in New Yorkand talk to the firefighters there.There are 60 fire stations inNew York that lost someone,some stations lost as many as12-15 people. I visited one sta-tion that lost 7 members, Engine23 in Manhattan. They invitedme into their station and the 7families were there, hoping thatsomeone would be found alive.We had a little impromptuprayer service, lots of tears andlots of hugging. I spoke withone young lady whose fiancéwas missing. They were sup-posed to be married onSeptember 22, and in her heartshe knew that he was gone.

New York will rise from the ashes

In the midst of all the painand heartache, I saw tremen-dous courage and faith. I saw itin the eyes of the firefightersand the families. They havesuffered much and will contin-ue to bear this heartache for

years to come. But they willnot allow this to beat them.New York will rise from theashes and I believe that ourcountry will rise as well.

We really need to askGod’s grace and strength

and guidanceMy prayer is that we may all

have the faith and courage weneed for the difficult decisionsahead. We cannot let hate enterour hearts, we cannot allow our-selves to become the kinds ofmonsters who caused this pain.For then, they will have trulywon; they will have changed usto become like them. As anation, we are hurt and angry.But, let us not lose our souls andbecome that which we havegrown to hate. We really need toask God’s grace and strengthand guidance.

Well, that’s about it. I’m backhome, safe and sound, and theparish is as busy as always. Ithank God that He gave me thestrength and the wisdom that Ineeded. It was really a privilegeto be able to go to New Yorkand serve FDNY and the peo-ple there. Let us continue topray for each other that thegood Lord will guide usthrough these difficult times.

Big hug to all, Chris

Editor’s note: Monsignor Chris has been a

Chaplain with the LAFD forover 20 years and serves at St.Genevieve Parish in PanoramaCity, CA.


was instantly seen by NewYork firefighters (whosereliance on union principals islegendary) as a perfect exampleof the brotherhood of firefight-ers. Before long many were“riding out” on fire trucks inorder to free up FDNY fire-fighters to attend funerals andcomfort loved ones. But thestory doesn’t end there. Asthese FDNY fire companies“rotated in” to rescue andrecovery duty at ground zero,they brought along the “broth-ers from Los Angeles”. As aresult, the freelancers unex-pectedly became the firstLAFD members to see effec-tive action at ground zero.

…the first to earn thetrust of the firefighters

in chargeBut an explanation is needed

here. You will remember thatthe first two groups of LAFDfirefighters preceded the free-lancers by a few days. So howdid the freelancers get in on theaction first? Our USAR teamand CISM team were part ofthe FEMA effort. Through nofault of their own, both teamshad spent the first few daysworking well out on theperimeter of the site. An inci-dent of this magnitude is anoverwhelming organizationalchallenge. This was FDNY’sincident. Their 14,000 fire-

fighters and ample resourceswere enough to do the jobalone if necessary. Rememberthat it was their fallen brothersin the rubble. As much as pos-sible they intended to “bringout their own”. So in thoseearly days only the FDNY andthe outside firefighters theybrought in had real access tothe site. Furthermore, theacceptance of outsiders by NewYork’s bravest was somewhatdependent on their being readi-ly identifiable as professionalIAFF firefighters. Therefore, afirefighter tee shirt with theIAFF Maltese cross was theuniform of choice. Our free-lancers wore the UFLACtee-shirt, they had flown all theway across the country at theirown expense, they came hop-ing only for a chance to helpbrothers in need, and haddemonstrated their abilitieswhile working shoulder toshoulder with the FDNY. Natu-rally they were the first to earnthe trust of the firefighters incharge.

The department hadbecome aware of the

sensibilities of FDNY andhad asked UFLAC for

“tee shirts for everybody”In little time the selfless work

of the freelancers opened doorsfor the rest of the LAFD contin-gent. The appreciation of FDNYfirefighters was expressed as,

“Hey, you guys from L.A. arealright.” That was transferred tothe rest of our group, and sooneveryone had the access neededto do the work that they hadcome to do. It probably alsohelped that by now all of ourpeople, chiefs included, werewearing either a LAFD orUFLAC tee shirt. The depart-ment had become aware of thesensibilities of FDNY, and hadasked UFLAC for “tee shirts foreverybody”. We were happy tooblige. A shipment was sentovernight to New York City, andwell over 100 shirts were dis-tributed to LAFD members.

LAFD PrideThe collapse of the twin tow-

ers on September 11th was oneof the worst tragedies in Amer-ican history. Certainly it will godown as the worst day in thelong history of the fire service.While mere words can neveradequately express theimmense sadness we firefight-ers feel for the loss of so manyof our brothers, we can take sol-ace in knowing that so manyLAFD “givers” were there tohelp in that time and place ofterrible need. Each of themdeserves a full measure of ourgratitude. We can be proud ofthe contributions of all of ourco-workers, both those whowere sent by the powers that be,and those who simply followedtheir hearts.

The LAFD Response to New York CityContinued from page 5

gave us such great leadership inmy time in the job. “I can’t findMichael,” he says. MichaelBoyle, his son, was withEngine 33, and the whole com-pany is missing. I can’t sayanything to Jimmy, but justthrow my arms around him.

The immediate danger over,the army of construction work-ers, police officers, EMTs andfirefighters begins to work.People who have never metbegin working side by side as ifthey have practiced for months.Cars are lifted, hoses and fire

trucks moved, and the heavyequipment is brought in. As Iwatch the steelworkers theyprogress in my mind fromadmirable to heroic.

I don’t have boots and I amwet to the knees. I will ‘takeup” as we say, and go home. Atthe end of this horrific day Ithink of Shakespeare’s lineabout evil living forever, and Irealize how most of the good ofeverything I know about thisworld is interred beneath therubble before me. It will bedays before there is a finalaccounting, and I can only

hope against hope for the peo-ple I have mentioned.

They have been friends ofmine for many years. It wasfrom their lives that New York’sfirefighters learned how to keeptheir chins up in danger, andhow to get down on their kneeswhen help is needed. It isbecause of them, and this terri-ble number of lost firefighters,whatever number that might be,that inspiration will be found togo on with our lives.

The last thing I see is KevinGallagher kissing another fire-fighter. It is his son.

Continued from page 7

Dennis Smith “Worst Nightmare”

these living hands of God, byway of the academy and a civilservice exam.

In disasters there are threekinds of patients. The first arekilled instantly, or nearly so, byinjuries that would be lethaleven if they happened at thehospital doorstep. The secondare walking wounded, who willsurvive even untreated. Ourtrauma system is for the remain-ing souls, who have a ‘goldenhour’ of life left – if we can getto them, and bring them home.Every ambulance siren that youhear, every fire truck that yousee rushing through the street,exists to save those few people.But those rescues don’t comeeasily or without cost. They arepaid for sometimes, a life for alife, with blood for blood.

We take it for granted —doctors and patients — this

safety net. Once in a while wegive out a medal or an award,but for the most part our heroeslive quietly forgotten, theirhero-worship confined to star-ry-eyed little neighborhoodboys in red toy hats from Pic’nSave. Once in a while, if we’reunlucky, we get to see a horri-ble reminder of the cost, playedover and over on TV.

So I spent Tuesday watchingthat reminder, pacing thehouse, wishing that we stilllived in Manhattan so that Icould do something to help. Ispent Tuesday frustrated,watching it all happen, all nerv-ous energy and anger andsadness — and relief that LosAngeles was quiet, with eerieempty California skies.

As the day grew old anambulance and a couple of firetrucks ran up Olympic Boule-vard toward UCLA, sirens

somehow reassuring ratherthan annoying for a change. Ithought about the central crazi-ness of that job – of those whorun into danger instead ofaway, pulled ever upwardtoward the fire when everybodyelse is coming down. Really, itmakes no sense.

But compared to everythingelse that I saw on the televisionin my old hometown that day,their climb to glory was theonly thing that made any senseat all.

Mark Morocco is an emer-gency medicine doctor atUCLA Medical Center and atLos Angeles County/Olive ViewMedical Center. He is also themedical supervisor for “ER”and “Third Watch.”

Editor’s note: A specialthanks to retired LAFD mem-ber Bill Stephens for bringingthis article to our attention.

Before Care Comes CourageContinued from page 6



Reprinted with permission, Mike Luckovich©2001 Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Oregonian, ©Oregonian Publishing Co. Allrights reserved.

Reprinted with permission of Jack Ohman.


Unnamed Heroes of the LAFD

by Brian HishinumaDirector

Approximately 40 of ourLAFD members flew to NewYork soon after the WorldTrade Center disaster. Theywent there on their own timeand money in commercial air-craft and donated private jets to

help their fellow firefighters intheir greatest time of need.

They worked tirelessly along-side their FDNY brothers andsisters at “ground zero.” Theyprovided relief and respondedto calls so FDNY memberscould get some much neededbreaks. They attended funeralsand provided care for the chil-dren who suffered the loss ofloved ones. The heart wrench-ing stories go on and on.

These heroes wish to remainanonymous…just being thereand able to help was theirreward. Thanks to all the otherunnamed firefighters of theLAFD. You truly “gave” whatonly you could give…not onlyyour physical assistance butdemonstrated the fraternalcompassion that comes straightfrom a firefighters heart.

Remembering That Day

by Larry FierroDirector

There I was at the airportwaiting to go for more train-ing. After almost twenty-fiveyears on the job and still moretraining.

On September 11, 2001 at5:48 AM West Coast time,madmen did the unthink-able…lives were snuffed out inan instant. In less than an hour,344 Brother firefighters goneand thousands of other liveswith them.

All the Brothers wanted to dowas help the helpless. Police andEMS folks were there to do thesame. All called to God’s side.

I finally made it there a fewdays later, without a plan. Sowere hundreds of other fire-fighters just like me. When Istood before that enormous pileof destruction and lost dreams, Icould do nothing but cry. Thou-

sands of Americans bandedtogether as one, with a singlegoal…to possibly save somelives. But that was not to be.

There were firefighters, policeand construction workers. Iremember taking a break and avery young man from McDon-alds was handing out burgers toall who were hungry. Funnywhat one remembers, but I doremember his face. This youngman doing what he could, anyway he could. I would guessthat young man is quite a bitolder now.

There were memorials to goto…far too many to attend;empty faces of the Brothers andthe sadness in their hearts. Iseem to recall all too well thosefeelings of despair. But theBrothers that gave their liveswould not have done it anyother way. We all know andhave been down that road. Sohave our fathers and ourfather’s fathers. For a hundredlifetimes we all would do thesame for humanity.

Let’s remember the good inall they did that day and raise aglass to those brave Brothers.Let’s laugh and cry over all thethings we can remember aboutour fallen Brothers…for thereare others like them in everyfirehouse across our great land.Most of all, let’s never forgettheir sacrifice and pray forthose they left behind.

The rubble of the WorldTrade Center buildings maybe 3,000 miles away, butthat didn’t stop L.A. fire-fighters from lending ahelping hand.

Twenty-five Los AngelesFire Department membersused their vacation time andtheir own money to help outin New York.

Thew worked around the

clock, 17 hours a day, dig-ging through the debris.They hoisted buckets of dustand ash. They were hopingto find survivors, but werelucky if they even foundbody parts.

They were joined by some70 members of the LAFDUrban Search and Rescueteam, who also turned out toshow solidarity for their New

York counterparts. WhenGov. Gray Davis called onthe team to go to New York,the team said yes within 20minutes and was on theplane in 6 1/2 hours.

What heart. What selfless-ness. What dedication. Theseheroes are L.A.’s finest.Reprinted with permission©Daily NewsSeptember 25, 2001

Local Heroes

Badgett, JohnBrakeman, JerryCastillo, MichaelCooper, KwameCummings, WendyDuyao, Gwen

Forrest, DonFukuda, LloydGerlich, StacyGibson, GregGodinez,GregJones, DeRon

Kaplan, HowardKilpatrick, BobLeon, DannyMartin, EdNegrete,GeorgeReiss, Jack

Scott, RobertUnderwood, PhilVanliefde, ChrisWhite, John

LAFD Urban Search & Rescue TeamWorld Trade Center

Arnold, Daniel W.Avery, Gregory M.Berkery, SteveBowie, GaryBullock, Hollyn D.Burau, ThomasCarbajal, JesseCarrera, OmarCasas, LouisChesmore, LenCordobes, RobertCooper, ChrisDefeo, RobertDenning, RichardEckstein, MarkFennessey, MichaelFreeman, David

Fry, CraigGoldsworthy, JimGrube, CharlesHaus, Thomas J.Hissong, Steven M.Horst, StanleyJackson, DaneKawai, ChrisKitahata, Thomas D.Klamecki, RonaldLabrie, BrianLesinski, JaimeLima, FranklinLopez, StephenManning, TerrenceManning, TimothyMessner, Lance

Mills, ChuckMitchell, ScottNaeole, AlanOjeda, ErnestPalmer, Gregory L.Peacock, SethPoirier, AlfredQuinlan, ScottRex, KevinReyes, DonaldRose, Corey G.Ruddell, CharlesRueda,MarioSanderson, GregSands, ToddSaxelby, MarkSears, Barry J.

Sidel, GaryStiglich, James L.Teller, DeresaTerrill, GregoryTietz, KurtValas, MichaelVan Dyke, TrumanVan Orden, RonWest, GregoryWhite,CraigWhite, WadeWillcox, Robert C.Willis, Jarvis R.Vogler, FrancineWarford, RichardWise, Jack

LAFD CISM Debriefing Team - World Trade Center

Laurel Canyon Blvd. and Moorpark St., North Hollywood.Over 400 citizens turned out waving flags and lighting candles as they did all over the nationto honor our fallen brothers and sisters on the New York City Fire Department and the thou-sands of civilians killed when terrorists struck on September 11, 2001. LAFD Truck 60 extendedit’s aerial ladder over the intersection while firefighters stood on the ladder in silent tribute.

Photo by Mike Meadows. CFPA

Local Citizens Honor Fallen Heroes

Photo by Chris Jenson, CFPA


Ken Buzzell, PresidentUFLAC

Dear Ken:Just a quick note to thank

you for your letter, It was akind gesture and I am greatlyappreciative.

Thank you again for yourthoughtfulness and friendship.

Very truly yours,James K. Hahn, MayorCity of Los Angeles

__________

Don R. Forrest, SecretaryUFLAC, Local 112

Dear Brother Don:I want to thank you and all

our brothers and sisters fromUnited Firefighters of LosAngeles City Local 112 foryour generous contribution inmemory of our officers whoperished on September 11th.

Local 854 maintains the“Bravest Scholarship Fund” toprovide scholarships to the chil-dren of fallen firefighters in NewYork City including our sisterunion, the Uniformed Firefight-ers Association, Local 94.

I want to also take this oppor-tunity to thank all of you for theassistance of the Los AngelesCity Fire Department in ourtime of greatest need.

Sincerely and fraternally,Peter L. Gorman, PresidentUniformed Fire Officers Assn.IAFF Local 854Fire Department, City of New York

__________

Dear brothers and sisters,Thank you for your generous

donation to the Bravest Schol-arship Fund. The children ofdeceased fire officers and fire-fighters will benefit from yourdonation!

Battalion Chief Richard GoldsteinChief’s RepresentativeUniformed Fire Officers Assn.Fire Department, City of New York

__________

Dear Jim Perry, EditorI have tried in the last week

to write or call, but every time Itry the words don’t do it justiceand speech becomes very diffi-cult when I try to talk about theevents of the last week (Sep-tember 11th.) So, I just want tolet you know I have the utmostrespect for the brothers youhave so long been associatedwith and I’ll just leave it at that.

Sincerely,Ralph MullenSecurity SupervisorCarson Valley Inn

Dear Jim:Isn’t it strange that when

faced with a terrorist’s “act ofwar” such as we’ve just experi-enced, it isn’t our nationalmilitary that’s first to respond tothe scene of the catastrophe, norour national government. It’slocal fire/rescue personnel.Always has been, always willbe. Under paid, under staffed,under supported. Yet ALWAYSthere when we need them…willingly. There’s been a greatdeal of political lip service thisweek; about how glad, howproud, how relieved our nationis to have our firefighters. It willbe interesting to see whether,when the dust and smoke andrubble have been cleared away,and the body counts are in, ifour public officials will at lasthave foresight to come up withthe funds the endangered fireindustry so desperately needs.

…A brother firefighter(Identified but requestedanonymity)

__________

Jim:A friend of mine, Pastor Jim

Christensen, was in London atthe time of the WTC attack. Hefound this note with a wreath offlowers at the foot of theFranklin Roosevelt statue infront of the American Embassy.I thought you might be interest-ed in seeing this. A touchingnote from our world-widebrotherhood.

I’m printing this in the exactmanor that it is written.

These firefighters who gavetheir lives,

Now lay down your helmetsto rest.

The SOHO Fire Fighterssalute America’s best!

SOHO Fire Fighters RedWatch, Station Commander:Grahm Ellis, London, England

As we follow the red whiteand blue,

In times of trouble, we’ll bethere for you.

We are divided only by water ...We were your mother, you are

our daughter.Now you have grown up and

gone your own way,But whenever you need us,

we shall NEVER say “nay.”

Thanks Jim, God watch over us all ...Don MacLane, Captain, LAFD Retired

Dear Jim:IAFF Harold Schaitberger’s

words at Ground Zero werepowerful...

Our deepest condolences toyou and the IAFF. Our heartgoes out to the fallen brothers’families.

In solidarity,Edwin SchmidtPresident and EditorAFL-CIO Retirees Assn.

__________

Dear Jim,

Hope all goes well with youin the face of our great Nation-al tragedy. Many challenges lieahead.

A friend of mine, a nativeNew Yorker, gave me a NewYork City Fire DepartmentBattalion Chief’s helmet aftermy retirement from the LAFD.I’ve always displayed it promi-nently amongst my Departmentmemorabilia but have moved itto a place of honor under themezzanine windows on oursecond floor.

We all grieve the loss of themore than 6000 of our citizenswho were lost, but for the menand women of the FDNY andtheir families the “wound” iswide and deep. God Blessthem all. The pain is felt from“sea to shining sea”.

All the best, Richard Baker, LAFD RetiredSan Juan Island, WA.

Fire Commissioner Tom CurryAddresses Firefighter Recruits

Good Afternoon,It’s not often that we ask

audiences to endure two Com-missioners speaking at a singleevent, but I ask your indul-gence in the hot sun for aspecial recognition.

First, you just met PresidentJay Grodin. By way of reintro-ducing him to you, he is aformer FBI Agent, formerDeputy Sheriff and an Attor-ney. He’s a no-nonsense guyand I look forward to workingwith him. I know that thisCommission will accomplish agreat deal during its term.

If the incident in New Yorkon September 11 served a pur-pose, it is this:

It showed what firefightingwas all about. Selfless peopledeliberately putting themselvesin harms way to help others whothey didn’t even know. Theydidn’t distinguish betweenProtestants or Catholics, Blacksor Whites, Jews or Arabs. Theydidn’t rate the victims on asocioeconomic scale or deter-mine their ethnicity before theyrendered help; they simply andcourageously offered help toanyone needing it that day. Andmany of these firefighters died

in the highest tradition of ourprofession.

There is always a price to bepaid for being a hero. And weall just witnessed the firstinstallment. Many more instal-lations will be paid in thecoming years as young chil-dren grow up without parents,families are economicallystressed and unfortunate indi-viduals who internalized theseevents turn to alcoholism andother debilitating activities toescape the memories. SenatorTed Kennedy, who I don’t oftenquote said it best, “the fire sta-tions in this nation are nowoverstaffed with the ghosts ofheroes past.”

And yet in spite of all of this,I reflect back when I was ayoung man and a recruit likeyou, many, many years ago.The then Chief Engineer orFire Chief, Ray Hill visited usin the old Headquarters Build-ing. He said “WelcomeGentlemen”, because of coursethere were no women in the fireservice back then. And I say toyou today, welcome ladies andgentlemen to the greatest job inthe world. It’s been all of thatand more to me. I retiredalmost three years ago with 31years of service, and I can’twait to get back to work. We’llbe meeting again soon, at largescale emergencies.

God Bless all of you braveyoung men and women whochoose firefighting as a career.

God Bless our fallen brothersand sisters in New York and allthe firefighters throughout theages who have died helpingothers.

God Bless and protect ouravenging angels in the militarywho will now bring these ter-rorists to justice.

God Bless this mighty nationwe live in – Ladies and Gentle-men, God Bless America.

Tom Curry

In Memoriam

Francis Kennedy1941-2001

To the Kennedy Family, Brothers and Sisters in Hawaii FireFighters Local 1463, IAFF, and countless friends. Our deepestcondolences in the passing of our dear Brother FrancisKennedy.

For several years Francis fought a long brave battle withlung cancer. Several of us were fortunate to have had a reunionwith Francis a few months ago while he was attending theWestern States Firefighters Conference in Reno, NV. Thatreunion was reported in the September/October issue of theLos Angeles Firefighter.

Francis was the Business Manager of the Hawaii Fire Fight-ers Association, Local 1463 with over 2,400 active and retiredmembers in Hawaii. HFFA is the exclusive bargaining repre-sentative for approximately 1,750 firefighters employed by theState of Hawaii, Maui and Kauai. Francis held that positionwith HFFA since 1970, initially serving while on leave fromthe Honolulu Fire Department where he was a Firefighter fromApril 1964 until 1972. One of his four children, JohnKennedy, is an Airport Fire Equipment Operator at HonoluluInternational Airport.

…Jim Perry

Los AngelesFirefighter

Newspaper Deadline

Issue Deadline

Jan/Feb Dec 5, 2001

Email copy to:

[email protected]

FAX: (213) 250-5678Photos and other copy

may be hand delivered ormailed to:

Jim Perry, Editor

UFLAC - Local 1121571 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90026

by Brian HumphreyLAFD PSO

Thirty-one Companies ofLos Angeles Firefighters, tenLAFD Rescue Ambulances andseven Chief Officer CommandTeams responded to a MajorEmergency Civilian FatalityStructure Fire at 5473 WestSanta Monica Boulevard in theSoutheast Hollywood area.

The first Company to arriveon scene reported evidence ofan explosion with smoke andfire showing from all floors ofa four story apartments-over-commercial structure. Dozensof ground ladders and all avail-able aerial ladders wereimmediately put to use ineffecting the rescue of 30-plusresidents in distress at windowsand balconies in the three occu-pied levels above the groundfloor businesses.

Firefighters made quick workof forcible entry and extendedhandlines to mount a tenaciousassault on the flames within thedisheveled 48-unit art-decostructure, known as “The Palo-mar Hotel”.

Mother Saves Children Dies at Scene

One 38 year-old female resi-dent, trapped at a fourth floorwindowsill, was able to handher three year-old girl and fiveyear-old boy to Firefighters ona ground ladder that nearlyreached her position. As Fire-fighters maneuvered an aerialladder to rescue the woman,she leapt or fell unexpectedlywithin seconds of being saved.Her plummet proved fatal, andshe was declared deceased atthe scene. Her children, suffer-ing from 1st degree burns andsmoke inhalation were taken toChildren’s Hospital of LosAngeles in serious condition.

Male Resident Found Dead

During a primary search ofthe 18,146 square-foot build-ing, Firefighters discovered thecharred remains of an adultmale in a 2nd floor apartment.

4 Firefighters InjuredA total of four male LAFD

members were injured battlingthe blaze in the 1925-era woodframe building. They include a37 year-old with seven-years ofservice, as well as a 45 year-oldFire Captain with twenty-fouryears of service, both who sus-tained musculoskeletal injury.

The younger man fracturedhis left clavicle when he felltwo floors as an upper floorstairway and elevator shaft -damaged by the explosion –suddenly gave way.

The Captain sustained a backinjury at the same time. Bothmen were taken to Cedars SinaiMedical Center where theywere treated and released. Twoother Firefighters were hospi-talized with burn injuries. Theyinclude a 27 year-old proba-tionary Firefighter whosustained 1st and 2nd degreeburns to his left arm, abdomen

and ears (TBSA 4%), as well asa 34 year-old Firefighter witheight years of service who sus-tained 2nd and 3rd degree burnsto both legs, both ears, his chinand groin (TBSA 12%). Bothburned Firefighters were trans-ported to the Grossman BurnCenter at Sherman Oaks Com-munity Hospital where skingraft surgery was anticipated.

LAFD Urban Search andRescue specialists assisted byCanine Teams used their skilland equipment to perform acomprehensive search of col-lapsed portions of the building,but no other victims were dis-covered.

More than two-dozen resi-dents sought overnightassistance offered by the Amer-ican Red Cross at a shelterestablished at nearby LemonGrove Recreation Center. Thecause of the blaze remainsunder formal investigation by amulti-disciplinary team of localand Federal investigators.


by Jim GalvinTreasurer

By now all active UFLACmembers not already enrolled inone of the UFLAC sponsoredBlue Cross medical plansshould have received a mailingannouncing the open enrollmentfor Blue Cross. Also enclosedwas an enrollment packagewhich contains informationabout the plans offered.

There are two plans avail-able, Blue Cross Prudent

Buyer, a preferred providerorganization (PPO) plan andBlue Cross California Care, apremium health maintenanceorganization (HMO) plan.These are both excellent, fullyinsured, medical plans offeredat very competitive rates.

Members, both active andretired, who have not receivedthe enrollment package and wishto do so please call the Benefitsoffice at (213) 895-4990 and wewill mail one to you.

In Loving Memory…

FDNYSeptember 11, 2001

To our brothers and sisters on the FDNY, families and friends

Our hearts and prayers are with all of you during this very difficult time.

Sincerely and fraternally,Officers, Members and Staff

United Firefighters of Los Angeles CityLocal 112, IAFF, AFL-CIO-CLC

Palomar Hotel Fire…

2 Civilian Fatalities - 4 Firefighters Injured

Open Enrollment for Blue CrossMedical Plans

Photo by Chris Jensen, CFPA

Photo by Chris Jensen, CFPA

Photo by Mike Meadows, CFPA Photo by Mike Meadows, CFPA

IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger meets withmembers of Los Angeles City Local 112 rescue team thattraveled to New York to help their brothers and sisters.

A Nation Mourns… America’s Bravest Firefighter... · Out of area HMO reimbursement On September...

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