Public Safety Signals

New Tradegy and old Wounds at Ground Zero

2007 Aug 19 Posted by Joseph Pascarella

Tragically, two New York City firefighters died battling a blaze at a Ground Zero building yesterday. The FDNY firefighters were overcome with smoke inhalation on the 14th floor of the 41-story Deutsche Bank building that is located across the street from the former World Trade Center Tower 2 (that was struck by the second plane, and the first to fall on September 11, 2001). The Deutsche Bank building since the attacks has become a troubled legacy in that it was damaged by the attacks, deemed unsafe, and embroiled into a dispute over the future of the structure. The Deutsche Bank building was in the process of being dismantled and demolitioned. Apparently, workers involved in the dismantling and demolition reported a smoke condition on the upper floors at approximately 3:30 PM EST yesterday.

The fire ultimately progressed into a seven alarm fire, meaning that fire apparatus
from seven different fire stations responded and about 275 firefighters ultimately responded to battle the blaze. The two firefighters that died battling the blaze were Firefighters Joseph Graffagnino out of the FDNY’s Ladder Company 5 and Firefighter Robert Beddia out of Engine Company 24. Ladder Company 5 and Engine Company 24 are located at the same physical location about 2 miles north of Ground Zero and Ladder Company 5 and Engine Company 24 lost 11 firefighters in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Ground Zero in the lexicon and collective conscience of our contemporary world registers many images and emotions. These lingering feelings from the attacks of September 11, 2001 range from despair to disbelief. Ground Zero is especially hallowed ground to FDNY firefighters in that 343 firefighters died there nearly six years ago.

The human element and the emotional toll in public safety can never be overstated. Consider the emotional toll on firefighters yesterday battling a very complex fire on hallowed ground while knowing that two firefighters were critically injured and removed from the scene (Firefighter Beddia was a twenty-three year veteran and the senior firefighter on the scene). The blaze took over 5 hours to control. The building was unoccupied and probably empty except for the workers that fled shortly after the reporting of the fire. However, Firefighters don’t operate on assumptions, they search every area of every floor to ensure that nobody is in the building and everyone is out of harms way and the fire is suppressed. This is done regardless of the hazards or circumstances.

Take care and as always, stay safe.

Joe Pascarella

August 19, 2007 | Filed under: Uncategorized
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