9/11 Silence

[Messyshaw]

20 years on from 9/11, and there wasn't a single post yester relating to the anniversary of the loss of 343 FFs on this fire service forum.

This is not a criticism,  just an observation 🤔

[Carl]

Very true @Messyshaw. I always change the banner of the front of the site which I leave in place until later today, but did expect at least a couple of posts on here. I even have it on the calendar link at the bottom. 🤷‍♂️

[Dyson]

I was certainly very reflective last few days over this. If you have seen 9\11 a day in America in Nat geo, I recommend you do. 

it feels very close to home for me, because of where I work. As far as posting here goes about it, I just can’t find the words to be honest 

[Carl]

I must admit I spent most of the day sat in front of Sky News watching the coverage, which never gets any easier at all.

Having been in the job when the attack happened was bad enough, but similar to Dyson, I now find myself 20 years on based at a station that covers Manchester City Centre and would certainly be first in attendance along with others should the worse happen. Contantly thought provoking and never forgetting. 

[JWS]

If anyone likes podcasts I recommend the latest lex Friedman one on YouTube, a very powerful interview of a Firefighter who was off duty but re called on the day and saw it all unfold before his eyes on 9/11.

Moving stuff

[Steve]

I was heavily involved in the aftermath and stayed involved for a number of years after. Yesterday was a day of reflection for me, like Carl, mainly watching Sky News' coverage as the Pandemic and personal circumstances stopped me attending with retired FDNY friends, which I had long planned to do. 

[Messyshaw]

You are all a lot braver than me as I couldn't stay with the TV coverage and had to turn it off

Since I retired I have been a proper wimp emotionally.  Maybe not having the watch 'emotional denial' protection has affected me more than I like to admit

I have watched a few documentaries and yesterday,  confined myself to reading FB stuff about the experiences of others 

[OscarTango]

To be fair I doubt there was a firefighter in the kingdom that wasn't thinking about it at sone stage. Maybe people were assuming someone else would post on here. I was on the school bus hearing it on the radio. We didn't get the gist of what was going on til we got home. 

I spent much of the evening looking down a rabbit hole of the nature of the collapse and why that favorite of conspiracy theories, WTC seven, fell down as it did.

I don't want to sour the memories of those who died by talking about conspiracy theories, but I think looking into the why's and hows of the collapses and debunking the myths is important. 

I've had countless training days about high rise but never has anyone gone into the actual physics of what happened at 9/11. Too "sacrosanct" a topic maybe? 

It's annoying you have to go down the route of debunking "truthers", but when you look into it, it is some fascinating material. Certainly drives it home that just because they are steel and concrete, no two buildings are the same, or behave the same way in a fire situation.

[Rory-495]

I find it hard to actually express thoughts on 9/11 - just because no words seem to do it justice.

I was only 7 and remember it not really sinking in, the gravity of it, but it just changed everyone's lives. So many mates who's careers in the military were shaped by this one day. Its just been constant in everyone's lives now.

Funnily enough, as OT says, we discussed yesterday the realities of not knowing what was going on and if a building will collapse.

Watching the 102 minutes documentary is almost like a horror movie you've seen before. Everyone knows the towers are going to collapse, but seeing the firefighters look up at the towers then go up to the fire really is the standard we should all aspire to. They had no idea what they would encounter but had no doubt they would do everything they could to help those inside. 

[Messyshaw]

Let's not muddy this with conspiracy theories.  No hi rise  building on earth suffered a fire with the intensity, rapid temperature rise and speed of fire development as this.

Several thousand litres of avgas igniting and cascading down through the floors is way outside the scope of any design of any building. The impact of the aircraft took the sprinklers out and removed tonnes ofol style fire resisting material that was wrapped around steel columns and beams.

Plus 9/11 would need a cast of hundreds all working in secret. They would have to avoid the scrutiny of hostile states when planning the job, and every person who willingly signed up to this act have kept quiet for 20 years

Its cobblers and impossible.  I am happy to debate these theories as they all orginate and are spread by those with low intelligence and self esteem who try to grab kudos by knowing something you don't.

[Carl]

52 minutes ago, Rory-495 said:

but seeing the firefighters look up at the towers then go up to the fire really is the standard we should all aspire to. They had no idea what they would encounter but had no doubt they would do everything they could to help those inside. 

And that's what makes us what we are. Grenfell was the same in respect of what we do. Those firefighters climbed Grenfell and having spoken to many people, many said they never knew if they were going to be coming out. 

[OscarTango]

Just want to make clear that I don't think it was an "inside job" or believe any kind of conspiracy theory surrounding that day.

" No hi rise building on earth suffered a fire with the intensity, rapid temperature rise and speed of fire development as this "

That's exactly my point. I don't think the mechanics of what happened is talked about enough. Maybe some people see it as disrespectful, who knows. But because of that, the people who dominate the discussion on the subject ARE the "truthers" and I think that's wrong.

When the sombre refection is all done, this is the most dramatic and thoroughly investigated example of catastrophic building failure from fire there is. It doesn't besmirch the memories of anyone to learn from it. 

[Matt]

I watched the 90 mins I think on ITV just of videos shot by everyone going about their normal life and then it happening.  Found that interesting but some of it was hard to watch.

I think if Covid not been round there would of been more to mark it yesterday.

[Hmckay91]

I tend to approach the 9/11 anniversary as time for private introspection.  On the anniversary, I happened to be instructing at a Heavy Rescue course.  We gathered all the students for the morning brief, one of the other instructors said a few words marking the anniversary of the event, and we held a minute of silence, and then carried on.  For me it felt appropriate.

What humbles me the most is that even in remoter areas of the Country that had little to do with 9/11; the events and the memories of those firefighters and emergency services personnel who fell, still has meaning and resonates with many in the general public.  Evidenced by this left outside our station.