Newsday (New York)
Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
Calls were transcribed by staff writers Hana Alberts, T.W. Farnam, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Alejandro Lazo, Luis Perez and Bryan Virasami
This is a transcript of a conversation between a dispatcher and Fire Chief Dennis Devlin, who was at the command post in Tower 2 and died later that day.
Time: Unclear
Dispatcher: Dispatcher
Chief: Yeah, how are you doing? This is the command post in Tower Two of the World Trade Center.
D: OK.
C: This is Chief Devlin. I gotta get a rundown of the companies. We’re in a state of confusion.
. . . . .
(Dispatcher heard calling another dispatcher)
D: “Edna! Edna! Pick up 263. Give this guy the rundown for Number Two World Trade.
Dispatcher 2: Hello?
C: Yes.
. . . . .
C: Is there some way we can maintain this link open? Uh, you having trouble getting communcations in?
D2: Uh, If you want, just call straight back on this number ...
C: Uh, listen, I need you to do me something because we have no cell phone service anywhere because of the disaster.
D2: OK.
C: I need you to call Division Three, Division Three, and have the messenger van bring all the additional handy-talkies he can.
D2: Add handy-talkies.
C: And uh, uh, a deputy chief helmet, anyone.
D2: Uh huh.
Time: 9:21 a.m.
Firefighter: Dispatch, ... Ladder Three. I’m at the World Trade Center.
Dispatcher: Yeah.
F: I’m on the 35th floor. OK?
D: OK.
F: Just relayed to the command post. We’re trying to get up. There’s numerous civilians at all stairwells. Numerous burn injuries are coming down. I’m trying to send them down first. Apparently, it’s above the 75th floor. I don’t know if they got that yet, OK?
D: OK.
F: We’re still heading up, OK?
D: OK.
Time: 10:17 a.m.
Fire chief: Ivan, who the -- is in charge down there? Do we know?
Dispatcher: At the fire?
C: Yeah
D: Nobody. Right now it’s Four Charlie I believe took charge. I don’t know who’s hurt. I don’t know who’s trapped.
C: Where is, where is, where is -
D: Four Adam is responding, Four Bravo I haven’t heard from, Four Charlie just came on the air. He said that they are moving the command post to a safer area. We lost the field com. I don’t know if they’re buried. We have numerous, numerous people trapped.
Time: 10:09 a.m.
Dispatcher: Manhattan
Retired fire captain: Hi, I’m a retired fire captain. Is there anything that I can do?
D: They are just calling back all members back to duty.
F: I know, but the building fell.
D: Yeah, we’re aware of that.
F: Then - then we’ve lost a lot of men.
D: We’re undetermined at this time.
F: Is there anything that - I’m retired. I’m a 44-year-old retired captain. Is there anything I can do? Or go? Or do? Or anything?
Time: 10:32 a.m.
Firefighter: Lieutenant, I’m in the Seventh Battalion’s office. Do you want me to stay here or do you want me to go down there? I’m the only one in the department. I’m the only one here.
Lieutenant: ... I don’t know what to tell you. The other tower just collapsed. I - I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t even know if you’ll be able to get there.