Coming Together: The Vehicles and Resources Used on 9/11
September 11, 2001. That tragic day is one that will never be forgotten. The men and women who responded to the scene that day worked together in unity to rescue those in need, as one nation. On that fateful day—and in the days that followed it—there were more first responder vehicles used from various agencies than ever before, all working together with one goal.
Vehicle and agency presence
The amount of first responding vehicles was increased significantly. As far as fire response goes there were more than 214 FDNY vehicle units total. These included rescue, squad, chiefs, command staff and marine units to name a few.
Police presence was vastly increased as well. The NYPD set up an incident command center in a location where they could be of assistance for those on the ground as well as for air support brought in. Harbor units worked with ground units, air units, command units and EMS and fire to manage the scene.
This is a significant amount given that the average number of first responder vehicles on the streets of New York is around 8,000 units according to the New York City fleet report. Imagine that number multiplied several times over to include other first responding units such as fire, EMS and surrounding agencies.
This is an important fact to take into consideration not only because of the increased presence of first responders and the amount of overall resources, but this also shows how first responder communities came together with one purpose and a shared goal.
As far as NYPD officers go, 23 died that day, as well as 37 Port Authority Police Department officers. Since then there have been 241 officers who have died due to illness related to the response to the attacks.
Importance of all units involved
It should be noted that no one agency could have successfully handled the situations on September 11, 2001, without the others. Fire played a dominant role that day in numerous capacities, but so did EMS and police. Fire had the necessary vehicles to put out fires, remove rubble, and reach usually inaccessible places.
EMS had teams ready to go when those victims of the scene, whether already there or responding, needed help. Police brought in help from agencies near by, and NYPD set up a command center that assisted all first responders involved. No single entity could have done it all without the others.
Fire units
Fire engines involved in the aftermath of the attacks took care of fire danger and aided with any other type of rescue situations.
Boats from FDNY were deployed in order to assist with evacuations and worked alongside watercraft from both the NYPD and the Coast Guard.
Medical units
Over 100 EMS units were involved in the response on that tragic day to help both first responders and civilians. Also present were several privately-owned ambulances offering help.
Police units
A variety of police units were used that day, including command centers which were set up strategically to assist all forms of first responders. Typically, a command center unit consists of a larger van or off road type vehicle depending, and inside often have a setup with areas to sit, computer monitors and other devices used for surveillance or monitoring a situation. Often, command center vehicles have rest areas as well. Standard patrol cars were present of course at the scene NYPD had much of their fleet responding to assist.
Three NYPD helicopters were used that day since helicopters have thermal imaging capabilities that enable pilots to see more than units on the ground. In all, the NYPD had more than two thousand members of their department responding.
A number of police boats were deployed to assist with evacuations. Along with the Coast Guard and fire department in an effort to support each other in the wake of the ultimate tragedy.
Results
The results that came from the teams working together was astounding and made all the difference in how the incident was handled. In addition to the unconscionable loss of life and the damage done buildings and to hundreds of fleet vehicles that day, the fire department lost 111 vehicles while the NYPD lost 200 fleet vehicles. All of the first responders involved pulled together to do their best for their community and their country that day.
Through the tough times of an unimaginable tragedy, the men and women of all of the responding units came together in unity to work together, supporting each other for the greater good.
Hilary Rodela
Hilary Rodela is currently a Surveillance Officer, a former Private Investigator, a former Crime Scene Investigator, and Evidence Technician. She worked for the Ruidoso (NM) Police Department as well as the Lubbock (TX) Police Department. She has written for several public safety publications and has extensive law enforcement and forensic training and is pursuing forensic expertise in various disciplines. Hilary is a freelance public safety writer and curriculum developer for the National Investigative Training Academy.
