When I returned to Albany in January, 2023, my daughter, her fiancé, and I decided to visit the New York State Museum located at the southern edge of Empire Plaza. The first display presented once we entered was about what happened in New York City on September 11, 2001. The day the Twin Towers fell after a terrorist attack and thousands lost their lives, including 343 firefighters.
Although, the display isn’t that big, it packs a punch.
A Firefighter Remembers
The most poignant item in the display is the video playing on a small video monitor stationed at the front end of Engine 6, or what remains of it. The firefighter talking is Billy Green. He arrived at the North Tower, along with the rest of his company, and helped people evacuate the building. As he worked, the tower came down. It destroyed Engine 6 and killed four out of the five crew members. Only Green survived by shear luck.
On the right is some of his story as told by him. I’ve read that this video was made a year after 9-11, which means Billy Green stayed active and continued to serve the City of New York.
The video was posted by Adam Fitzgerald on YouTube
Engine 6's Last Ride
Engine 6 was stationed across the street from the World Trade Center complex when the North Tower was hit at 8:46 a.m. Shortly afterward, the engine company responded and was one of the first on the scene. The North Tower was the first to collapse.
Five firefighter’s were assigned to the day crew: Lt. Thomas O’Hagan, and firefighters Thomas P. Holohan, Paul Beyer, William “Billy” Johnston, and Billy Green in the video.
The Seagrave pumper was specifically designed to push water to the top of the 102 floor building. The got hooked up to the standpipes on West Avenue as other crew members entered the ‘B” stairways in the tower carrying firefighting tools and a hose line. When they reached the 15th Floor, word came over the radio that the South Tower just got hit. They stopped on the 17th Floor to rest and think.
When they reached the 15th Floor, word came over the radio that the South Tower just got hit. They stopped on the 17th Floor to rest and think.
The building collapsed 102 minutes at 10:28 a.m. as the debris rained, Engine 6 was destroyed and four of the crew member were lost while trying to save others.
Another 339 firefighters in the building and around the complex joined the four from Engine 6 in answering their last bell that day.
A Place to Rest
When they reached the 15th Floor, word came over the radio that the South Tower just got hit. They stopped on the 17th Floor to rest and think.
The building collapsed 102 minutes at 10:28 a.m. as the debris rained, Engine 6 was destroyed and four of the crew member were lost while trying to save others.
So Little Left
When they reached the 15th Floor, word came over the radio that the South Tower just got hit. They stopped on the 17th Floor to rest and think.
The building collapsed 102 minutes at 10:28 a.m. as the debris rained, Engine 6 was destroyed and four of the crew member were lost while trying to save others.
