Cape May Firefighters Recall Ground Zero Duty

CAPE MAY — When the call for EMTs came from Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001 firefighters from this city were quick to answer.
Lt. Michael Eck went to ground zero on the day the disaster occurred. Fire Chief Jerry Inderwies Jr. followed three days later as part of an EMS Task Force from Cape May County.
Eck went to the World Trade Center area with a group of specialized rescue personnel meeting first at a Coast Guard station in Sandy Hook. He then went by boat to another Coast Guard station on Governor’s Island. Eck’s group remained there during the first night as plans were put in order, he said.
“There was a lot of smoke, military aircraft in the air, but it was extremely quiet for what was going on,” said Eck. “It was eerie, no cell phone signals.”
Inderwies said he went to Manhattan with then Cape May Fire Chief Bruce Bieber and the late Lt. David Halbruner. They received a briefing in Jersey City and went into Manhattan with a contingent of ambulances from throughout the state to a staging area at Chelsea Pier.
“We moved up as calls came in,” said Inderwies.
He said they made a brief stop at Stuyvesant High School and then moved to Vesey and West streets to the American Express Tower at ground zero. All the building’s windows were blown out, he said.
“When we arrived at the American Express Tower they gave us masks and equipment and we were on standby for any civilians that were injured,” said Inderwies.
“We spent 24 hours at that site,” he continued. “We saw many FDNY members in a complete state of disbelief.”
Inderwies recalled seeing an FDNY firefighter sitting in a chair in the American Express Tower for more than eight hours, wearing his fire gear minus his helmet, just staring at the building across the street.
“Every time I went back, he was still sitting there in shock, I guess, from what he had seen and been through,” he said.
Eck remembers an FBI agent with shoulder-length jet-black hair in a ponytail sitting perfectly straight in a chair in the American Express building with no expression on his face.
“He was totally shell shocked from the event,” said Eck. “The biggest thing I take away from the event is how survivors felt afterwards.”
Inderwies said they were staged one block from a morgue so any recovered bodies or body parts were brought past their post. A police officer’s body had been discovered. Inderwies said about 100 police officers lined up, marched in together and escorted the body past Inderwies’ post to the morgue.
He said mainly body parts were being found as opposed to intact bodies. Across the street some fire department equipment was parked that had been towed.
“There was a ladder truck that was probably compressed to about half its size…” said Inderwies. “There were papers from the World Trade Center everywhere you looked that came out of the office, letterheads, business cards, tons of paper everywhere, it came down with the building.”
Eck said he also took a ferry from Governor’s Island to Manhattan with a fire engine from the Coast Guard base and parked a few blocks away from the World Trade Center. He also saw ash, soot and paper blocks away from ground zero.
He recalls walking through debris including numerous crushed vehicles. Eck assisted with rescue operations at the pile of debris.
He remembers seeing civilians helping by handing out bottles of water and food to rescue workers.
“There was a point where you could really tell everybody’s pulling together to make an effort to make things happen,” said Eck.
Inderwies said as he traveled in a convoy of ambulances, he saw a number of civilians standing on the sidewalk with signs with phrases such as “God Bless America,” and “Thank You.” He said the civilians cheered as the ambulances drove past.
Inderwies said he remembers Sept. 11 as if it was yesterday. Eck said no one could take in the scope of the situation without actually having been at ground zero.
“Unfortunately there is not a lot we can do for people that have already been lost but the people that are left behind, that’s where the real impact is for me,” said Eck.
Inderwies and Eck said it was difficult to leave ground zero since they typically don’t leave an event until the job is done.
“The ambulance that we brought back was covered in dust from the World Trade Center,” said Inderwies.
So were their shoes and clothes.
Eck asked readers to remember that many emergency workers are still sick from Sept. 11 including firefighters, police officers, EMS and civilians. Inderwies said rescue workers from ground zero were affected both physically and mentally.
“There are still plenty of charities out there to donate to help these people with their illnesses,” said Eck.