Lieutenant Ray Brown
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Tags: Humanitarian & Public Safety, 9/11, September 11, World Trade Center, Twin Towers, Terrorist attacks, firefighter, New York, NYC, NYFD By: NevarForget911 |
“I don’t care how many years on the job you had, how many years you spent in any rescue company, this was just beyond anybody’s capability.”
On September 9th, 2001, the United States witnessed a fateful event; planes crashed into the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. In the wake of this tragedy, many honored their call of duty and risked their own lives to help the victims of the terrorist attacks. In New York City, many firefighters gave their lives to ensure the safety of many others. Fortunately, some firefighters were able to make it out alive to be able to share their stories with the world about the heroic feats they accomplished in the face of this catastrophe. Even after that, they would simply tell you that they were no hero and that it was all in a day’s work. Lt. Ray Brown of Ladder 113 is one of these selfless firefighters.
Along with a group of experience firemen, including Dennis Dowdican, Willie Roberts, Richie Nogan, Bob Pino, Tom Fisa, and Bill Morris, they were ordered to rush to the scene from Brooklynn. Brown was working his second shift in a row, and was informed to turn the TV on by another station fireman. Watching the flames billowing out of the tower, Ray Brown and his fellow firefighters witnessed the second plane crash into the towers. Brown recounts how they all simultaneously thought of the terrible fates of the civilians and firefighters on the scene, and meanwhile were preparing to be dispatched. As they rushed to the scene, they approached the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and the crew was informed that the Pentagon had just been struck as well. Brown worried that even the tunnel might be a target. As his company approached the towers, Brown was ambushed by debris and his surroundings turned pitch-black. He said out to himself “They dropped the bomb on us… I’m going to die.” After having this near death experience, he recollected himself to get up and continue running once more and was hit by debris once again. People around him were getting bombarded by debris but he couldn’t stop to help them, and he claimed that he was sure that they were dying. After taking cover behind a wall, he heard the voices of victims crying out for help. He told them to evacuate the area and to escape to the river. In the thick fog of dust and debris, no one could be heard or seen until they were in very close proximity.
After checking up on his crew and discovering that they were all alive and well, Brown realized a fire truck was burning and thought that either every floor of the building was burning or that a bomb was dropped there, only to realize that one of the towers had just collapsed. At this point, there were two fire engines trapped in the Marriot Hotel and Brown had to make a quick judgment call. He decided that if people were able to walk and talk, they would have to wait for the ambulances to arrive and the fire crew would have to keep searching for others incapacitated. “There were some who were bleeding and moaning, but you had to leave them… That was a hard thing to do” he recalled. Brown was given word that firefighters were now trapped in the Marriot, one of them being the lieutenant of Engine 58. After finding one of the crew pinned under debris but still alive, a Mayday signal was given from a company on the first floor of the hotel and they Brown’s crew had to respond immediately, preparing saws and other equipment to get through the massive amounts of ducts, pipes, shelves, and other debris to reach the trapped firefighters.
After a good while trying to clear an opening, the radios remained silent the majority of the time, with Ray’s crew not even responding to his calls until he heard several Mayday calls from others and all he could do was focus on the situation at hand. When the hole was cleared, Brown and a firefighter accompanied him in there and then Brown blacked out.
“They told me that I yelled, get out. They told me that they heard a rumble. The guys from (Engine) 58 were in the Marriott when the first tower came down, so when they heard that rumble, they knew it was a major collapse. I woke up for about a second or two. They found me in the lobby about 15 or 20 feet from where I had been. Apparently, I got hit with some stuff and thrown across the room. The only reason they found me is because they saw my flashlight.”
Through several accounts of losing and regaining consciousness, he woke up to find himself in the hospital with five fractured ribs. He later discovered he had been listed as either MIA (missing in action) or DOA (dead on arrival) as his family, many of whom are firefighters as well, only knew that his truck was burned up and no whereabouts of his were known whatsoever. The doctor informed him that his crew and even his Father was okay.
“With any line-of-duty death, you know the names, the company, you know how long they’ve been on the job. That’s why this is so mind boggling.”
On September 9th, 2001, the United States witnessed a fateful event; planes crashed into the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. In the wake of this tragedy, many honored their call of duty and risked their own lives to help the victims of the terrorist attacks. In New York City, many firefighters gave their lives to ensure the safety of many others. Fortunately, some firefighters were able to make it out alive to be able to share their stories with the world about the heroic feats they accomplished in the face of this catastrophe. Even after that, they would simply tell you that they were no hero and that it was all in a day’s work. Lt. Ray Brown of Ladder 113 is one of these selfless firefighters.
Along with a group of experience firemen, including Dennis Dowdican, Willie Roberts, Richie Nogan, Bob Pino, Tom Fisa, and Bill Morris, they were ordered to rush to the scene from Brooklynn. Brown was working his second shift in a row, and was informed to turn the TV on by another station fireman. Watching the flames billowing out of the tower, Ray Brown and his fellow firefighters witnessed the second plane crash into the towers. Brown recounts how they all simultaneously thought of the terrible fates of the civilians and firefighters on the scene, and meanwhile were preparing to be dispatched. As they rushed to the scene, they approached the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and the crew was informed that the Pentagon had just been struck as well. Brown worried that even the tunnel might be a target. As his company approached the towers, Brown was ambushed by debris and his surroundings turned pitch-black. He said out to himself “They dropped the bomb on us… I’m going to die.” After having this near death experience, he recollected himself to get up and continue running once more and was hit by debris once again. People around him were getting bombarded by debris but he couldn’t stop to help them, and he claimed that he was sure that they were dying. After taking cover behind a wall, he heard the voices of victims crying out for help. He told them to evacuate the area and to escape to the river. In the thick fog of dust and debris, no one could be heard or seen until they were in very close proximity.
After checking up on his crew and discovering that they were all alive and well, Brown realized a fire truck was burning and thought that either every floor of the building was burning or that a bomb was dropped there, only to realize that one of the towers had just collapsed. At this point, there were two fire engines trapped in the Marriot Hotel and Brown had to make a quick judgment call. He decided that if people were able to walk and talk, they would have to wait for the ambulances to arrive and the fire crew would have to keep searching for others incapacitated. “There were some who were bleeding and moaning, but you had to leave them… That was a hard thing to do” he recalled. Brown was given word that firefighters were now trapped in the Marriot, one of them being the lieutenant of Engine 58. After finding one of the crew pinned under debris but still alive, a Mayday signal was given from a company on the first floor of the hotel and they Brown’s crew had to respond immediately, preparing saws and other equipment to get through the massive amounts of ducts, pipes, shelves, and other debris to reach the trapped firefighters.
After a good while trying to clear an opening, the radios remained silent the majority of the time, with Ray’s crew not even responding to his calls until he heard several Mayday calls from others and all he could do was focus on the situation at hand. When the hole was cleared, Brown and a firefighter accompanied him in there and then Brown blacked out.
“They told me that I yelled, get out. They told me that they heard a rumble. The guys from (Engine) 58 were in the Marriott when the first tower came down, so when they heard that rumble, they knew it was a major collapse. I woke up for about a second or two. They found me in the lobby about 15 or 20 feet from where I had been. Apparently, I got hit with some stuff and thrown across the room. The only reason they found me is because they saw my flashlight.”
Through several accounts of losing and regaining consciousness, he woke up to find himself in the hospital with five fractured ribs. He later discovered he had been listed as either MIA (missing in action) or DOA (dead on arrival) as his family, many of whom are firefighters as well, only knew that his truck was burned up and no whereabouts of his were known whatsoever. The doctor informed him that his crew and even his Father was okay.
“With any line-of-duty death, you know the names, the company, you know how long they’ve been on the job. That’s why this is so mind boggling.”
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