WEBVTT - Retired FDNY Chief Reflects on 9/11

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<v Speaker 1>This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and Tim

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<v Speaker 1>Stenebeck on Bloomberg Radio. It's hard to believe it's been

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<v Speaker 1>twenty two years since the US was attacked on September eleventh,

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<v Speaker 1>two thousand and one. On that day, nearly three thousand

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<v Speaker 1>people were killed in the attacks on the Twin Towers

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<v Speaker 1>the Pentagon. In the attempted attack that resulted in the

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<v Speaker 1>crash of United Flight ninety three in Somerset County, Pennsylvania,

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<v Speaker 1>thousands were injured, and more than twenty years later, it's

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<v Speaker 1>likely more people have died as a result of the

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<v Speaker 1>pollutants in the period after the collapse of the Twin Towers.

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<v Speaker 1>That's according to a New York Times article back in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty one. Joseph Pfeiffer was there that day. He

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<v Speaker 1>was in downtown Manhattan on nine to eleven investigating with

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<v Speaker 1>his firefighters the smell of gas when he witnessed the

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<v Speaker 1>first plane crash into the World Trade Center. He was

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<v Speaker 1>the first FDNY chief at the scene, and in twenty eighteen,

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<v Speaker 1>after thirty seven years with the FDNY, was the last

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<v Speaker 1>fire chief who'd been at ground zero to retire. Two

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<v Speaker 1>years ago. On the twentieth anniversary of nine to eleven,

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<v Speaker 1>he published a book, Ordinary Heroes, a memoir of nine

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<v Speaker 1>to eleven. Joseph Pfeiffer joins us. Now he's also, I

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<v Speaker 1>should note, unretired, having been appointed FDNY First Deputy Commissioner

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<v Speaker 1>back in March. Chief, it's good to have you with us.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, it's good to be here with you today.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, every year around this time, I wonder what

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<v Speaker 1>people think about who were there that day, and you were,

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<v Speaker 1>of course one of the first people who were there

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<v Speaker 1>that day. What is this time of year mean to you.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a time to remember. It's a time to remember

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<v Speaker 2>the tragedy of that day, but it's also a time

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<v Speaker 2>to remember how how firefighters ran into danger to save lives.

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<v Speaker 2>And there's another thing that we need to remember is

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<v Speaker 2>that the global community came together and we supported each

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<v Speaker 2>other in one voice against terrorism.

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<v Speaker 3>You were the first fire chief at the World Trade

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<v Speaker 3>Center on that day, and remarkably you already had a

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<v Speaker 3>documentary film crew with you filming another instance, as far

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<v Speaker 3>as when you were dealing with a routine gas leak.

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<v Speaker 3>What kind of goes through your mind whenever you think

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<v Speaker 3>back to that moment, having already been down there before

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<v Speaker 3>everything began.

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<v Speaker 2>I remember it was a beautiful summer morning with bright sunshine,

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<v Speaker 2>and we were standing in the street an ordinary emergency,

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<v Speaker 2>and then all of a sudden, we heard a loud

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<v Speaker 2>noise of planes coming overhead. And as you know, we

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<v Speaker 2>never hear planes in Manhattan because of the tall buildings.

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<v Speaker 2>And then I see this plane flying on a very

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<v Speaker 2>low altitude, so low I could read on the fuselage American,

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<v Speaker 2>and it raced past us at fast speed, and I

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<v Speaker 2>saw the plane aim and crashed into the World Trade Center,

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<v Speaker 2>And in that moment, I knew that this was no accident,

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<v Speaker 2>that this was a direct attack, and that's the message

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<v Speaker 2>I gave on the radio. And really in that moment,

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<v Speaker 2>our entire world changed, and the next one hundred and

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<v Speaker 2>two minutes would evolve with the dramatic memories of what

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<v Speaker 2>took place.

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<v Speaker 1>You must have replayed those moments in your head countless

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<v Speaker 1>times at this point.

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<v Speaker 2>I do. And one of the moments I remember is

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<v Speaker 2>that as we pulled up to the World Trade Center,

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<v Speaker 2>we saw smoke coming out of the top and flames

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<v Speaker 2>coming out, and people started to gather by the windows,

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<v Speaker 2>and we knew that at that time, there would be

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<v Speaker 2>like twenty thousand people within the World Trade cent the complex,

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<v Speaker 2>and every firefighter, every paramedic, every fire marshal, every police officer,

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<v Speaker 2>every responder looked at the burning buildings and they knew

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<v Speaker 2>they were going to the most dangerous fire of the

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<v Speaker 2>lives and they made a personal choice to go in.

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<v Speaker 2>And even though this is our job, this is what

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<v Speaker 2>we do, it still was a personal choice to run

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<v Speaker 2>into danger.

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<v Speaker 3>And your brother Kevin was amongst those that went up.

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<v Speaker 3>And it was interesting that the documentary crew that you

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<v Speaker 3>were with actually had a moment where the two of

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<v Speaker 3>you were talking and he went up there. When you

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<v Speaker 3>think back to that moment, how do you feel.

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<v Speaker 2>I think back to the moment when he came up

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<v Speaker 2>to me without saying a word, and we looked at

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<v Speaker 2>each other, wondering if we're both going to be okay,

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<v Speaker 2>And then I ordered him to go up to evacuate

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<v Speaker 2>and to rescue those that were trapped, and it was

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<v Speaker 2>the same order I gave many fire offices. And I

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<v Speaker 2>think back to that moment, which was a special moment

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<v Speaker 2>that we saw each other. And then I saw him

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<v Speaker 2>take his unit Engine thirty three and turn to climb

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<v Speaker 2>the narrow stairs of the World Trade Center.

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<v Speaker 3>So whenever you talk about in your memoir called ordinary heroes,

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<v Speaker 3>is that the ordinary hero that you're talking.

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<v Speaker 2>About that is And as my brother went up, another

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<v Speaker 2>firefighters went up. People were coming down, and the firefighters

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<v Speaker 2>said to people, don't stop, keep going. You can make

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<v Speaker 2>it out of here. Some simple words, and those words

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<v Speaker 2>we know from people who survived. Those words made a

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<v Speaker 2>difference because they made it out.

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<v Speaker 1>When I think about nine to eleven, I remember where

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<v Speaker 1>I was, along with many other the people who are

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<v Speaker 1>around my age and older, they remember where they were,

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<v Speaker 1>They remember what they were experiencing. It was sort of

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<v Speaker 1>like a you know, talking to my parents that moment

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<v Speaker 1>that John F. Kennedy was killed, or talking to my

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<v Speaker 1>grandparents that moment that Pearl Harbor was attacked. Since nine eleven,

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<v Speaker 1>tens of millions of Americans have been born people who

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<v Speaker 1>only heard about nine to eleven as stories. They didn't

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<v Speaker 1>live through it, They didn't experience it. How do you

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<v Speaker 1>keep the memory of these ordinary heroes, keep the legacy

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<v Speaker 1>of them in a world where it's increasingly becoming a

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<v Speaker 1>distant memory.

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<v Speaker 2>The memory of nine to eleven is part of history

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<v Speaker 2>and certainly are young people, many of them were even born,

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<v Speaker 2>and they can read about it, but they also can

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<v Speaker 2>see documentaries, and I think that's a different experience that

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<v Speaker 2>they actually looking at a documentary experience it again. And

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<v Speaker 2>the question for us, I think, is what do we

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<v Speaker 2>want them to learn from it. Is this just an

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<v Speaker 2>event that they look at it on a program or

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<v Speaker 2>is there more meaning to it? And I believe that

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<v Speaker 2>we want our young people to understand what took place

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<v Speaker 2>that day, and we do it with our probationary firefighters.

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<v Speaker 2>We bring them to the nine to eleven Museum and

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<v Speaker 2>for them to walk around and see the burnt out

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<v Speaker 2>fire trucks. We want them to experience what took place.

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<v Speaker 2>But I think as they look at this event as

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<v Speaker 2>part of history and they see our firefighters and first

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<v Speaker 2>responders running in, they see them as superheroes running into danger.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, it can never be a superhero. It's

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<v Speaker 2>just too difficult to do those things. And what I

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<v Speaker 2>tell them is that on that day, our heroes did

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<v Speaker 2>ordinary things but at an extraordinary time. And I think

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<v Speaker 2>when they think of nine to eleven as that as

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<v Speaker 2>ordinary heroes, they can start to imagine themselves as being

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<v Speaker 2>one of those heroes, and we need that today more

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<v Speaker 2>than anything else. We need our new generation, our young generation,

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<v Speaker 2>to tack some of the problems that we're experiencing. Not

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<v Speaker 2>only do we have to deal with acts of violence

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<v Speaker 2>and terrorism and homeland security issues, but we have issues

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<v Speaker 2>of climate change or what I'm referring to now as

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<v Speaker 2>as climate security. How do we deal with the heat,

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<v Speaker 2>the wildfires that we saw in Mali, the storms, And

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<v Speaker 2>I think that's what our new generation, our young generation,

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<v Speaker 2>should see themselves as part of the part of the

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<v Speaker 2>solution to those problems.

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<v Speaker 3>Earlier this year, you actually came out of retirement to

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<v Speaker 3>take on a new job as the nation's largest fire

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<v Speaker 3>department here and you were named first Deputy Commissioners that's

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<v Speaker 3>the second highest civilian rank in the department, managing those

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<v Speaker 3>day to day operations. So very impressive. What motivated you

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<v Speaker 3>to do this after you did retire from the FDN

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<v Speaker 3>Y in twenty eighteen.

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<v Speaker 2>It's coming back to the fire department that I love,

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<v Speaker 2>that there's so much part of my life and saying, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>I got some more work to do. There's other things

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<v Speaker 2>that I can do now. As I mentioned, it's not

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<v Speaker 2>only responding to emergencies here, but how do we shape

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<v Speaker 2>the department to deal with lithium battery fires and to

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<v Speaker 2>deal with the climate change safety issues? So it's for me,

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<v Speaker 2>it's exciting going to work every day.

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<v Speaker 1>It's pretty remarkable that in the last twenty years, twenty

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<v Speaker 1>two years and moving forward, we'll probably see more people

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<v Speaker 1>die as a result of the toxin the pollutants at

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<v Speaker 1>Ground zero then who were actually killed in the attacks,

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<v Speaker 1>and continue we continue to see members of the FDN

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<v Speaker 1>Y die each year as a result of this. How

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<v Speaker 1>do we keep those heroes in our memory even though

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<v Speaker 1>they're dealing with the health effects decades later.

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<v Speaker 2>It's hard to believe that twenty two years later, we're

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<v Speaker 2>approaching the number of our firefighters that died on nine

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<v Speaker 2>to eleven. We lost three hundred and forty three of

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<v Speaker 2>our members, and we're approaching that number. We're at three

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<v Speaker 2>hundred and forty one that died from post nine to

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<v Speaker 2>eleven diseases from the toxics that you've mentioned. And we

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<v Speaker 2>keep those memories alive by in the FDNY by putting

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<v Speaker 2>their names up on a on a wall, and and

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<v Speaker 2>we're putting up for this year forty three names that

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<v Speaker 2>have just died in the in the in the last year.

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<v Speaker 2>So we have at a fire Department headquarters a plaque

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<v Speaker 2>of with the names of all the firefighters that have

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<v Speaker 2>died since the beginning of the FDNY and opposite including

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<v Speaker 2>the nine to eleven nine to eleven firefighters, and opposite

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<v Speaker 2>that are the firefighters and our members and our medical

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<v Speaker 2>ems folks that died post nine to eleven.

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<v Speaker 3>As we come to this twenty second anniversary, whenever you're

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<v Speaker 3>speaking with family members of those who are going to

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<v Speaker 3>have their names added, how are they feeling at this moment?

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<v Speaker 2>There's there's a level of sadness, but at the same time,

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<v Speaker 2>there's a sense that we're supporting each other and they're

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<v Speaker 2>not alone. And I think coming together as department and

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<v Speaker 2>other family members that have lost loved ones, we stand

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<v Speaker 2>arm in arm, and we stand arm with the city

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<v Speaker 2>of New York and the country and even the world,

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<v Speaker 2>and in that sense, we can make it through it.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you think there's more work to be done in

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<v Speaker 1>taking care of those not just members of the FDN Y,

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<v Speaker 1>but those who are living with the effects of nine

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<v Speaker 1>to eleven. Is there more that Congress can do?

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<v Speaker 2>There's definitely more that Congress can do. They continue to

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<v Speaker 2>fund our medical programs and we're dependent on that in

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<v Speaker 2>FDN Y for the people who have got sick that

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<v Speaker 2>they've survived, actually eighty five percent of them survived longer

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<v Speaker 2>than what was expected because of our medical programs, and

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<v Speaker 2>those medical programs aren't cheap and seeing physicians and treatment.

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<v Speaker 2>So Congress has a responsibility to care for for the victims,

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<v Speaker 2>not just from that day, but the victims that we're

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<v Speaker 2>seeing now. And so I would I would ask Congress

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<v Speaker 2>for for our families and our our future families who

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<v Speaker 2>are suffering from from from nine eleven cancer, to to

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<v Speaker 2>continue to help those families.

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<v Speaker 1>What motivates you to keep serving? As Jess mentioned, you

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<v Speaker 1>unretired after nearly forty years with the FDNY, and I

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<v Speaker 1>think a lot of people in your position would would say, hey,

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<v Speaker 1>that was that was a great career. A lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people probably said to you, that was a great career.

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<v Speaker 2>I like the term unretired. It's actually fun being unretired,

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<v Speaker 2>going back and looking at new challenges and looking at

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<v Speaker 2>the complexities we have to deal with, and bringing together

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<v Speaker 2>our experienced people and our young people coming in and

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<v Speaker 2>saying okay, we can do this together. We can protect

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<v Speaker 2>the city, we can deal with new challenges, new disasters,

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<v Speaker 2>and we can do it together. Which is this secret

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<v Speaker 2>And and it's not just with an f D, n Y.

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<v Speaker 2>I work closely with n Y, p D and UH

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<v Speaker 2>and Emergency Management and and the city should be proud.

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<v Speaker 2>There's there's some good people serving New York City.