CBS News
60 Minutes remembers 9/11: The FDNY
This is an updated version of a story first published on Sept. 12, 2021. The original video can be viewed here.
In the neighborhoods of New York, there are 217 firehouses. Each holds a memorial to firefighters who answered the call 23 years ago and never returned. As we first told you in 2021, 343 members of the Fire Department of the City of New York perished on 9/11, in the greatest act of gallantry ever bestowed on an American city. This is their story.
Joe Pfeifer: This plane raced past us along the Hudson River at such a low altitude I could read “American” on the fuselage.
At 8:46 that morning, Battalion Chief Joe Pfeifer was blocks away, searching for a routine gas leak.
Joe Pfeifer: I saw the plane aim and crash into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
From that moment, the firefighters of the FDNY would have about an hour and a half to save 17,000 lives.
Sal Cassano: They knew that they might not come home, but they knew there were people trapped. That’s our job.
Peter Hayden: There’s no way we were gonna stand back and say we’re not going in. That wouldn’t be the FDNY.
Dan Nigro: Our aim was to get above that fire and get those poor people out that were calling us.
Melissa Doi: We’re on the floor and we can’t breathe. And it’s very, very, very hot!
Dan Nigro: And all the dispatcher could say is, “We’re coming for you.” So, we like to keep our promises. You know, we told them we’re coming. We’re coming.
Joe Pfeifer was coming with a camera. Filmmakers Jules and Gideon Naudet were making a documentary about the FDNY.
Joe Pfeifer: We have a number of floors on fire. It looked like the plane was aiming towards the building.
Dispatch: Engine 6 to Manhattan, K.
Dispatch: Engine 6
Radio Transmission: The World Trade Center, Tower Number One is on fire!
Dispatch: Engine 1-0, World Trade Center 10-60. Send every available ambulance, everything you got to the World Trade Center now!
Dispatch launched an armada.
Dispatch: Engine 2-1-1, Ladder 11, Engine 4-4, Engine 22, Engine 53…
121 engines, 62 ladder companies, 100 ambulances, 750 members of the FDNY.
Dispatch: Attention 68 Engine, 35 Engine, 50 Engine, 64 Engine, 94 Engine, 83 Engine…
At FDNY headquarters, in Brooklyn, 54-year-old Chief of Department Peter Ganci Jr. raced to his car. He was the boss, leading the second-largest fire department in the world—after Tokyo. Dan Nigro was his number two.
Dan Nigro: So we went downstairs quickly, got in the car and headed over the Brooklyn Bridge, where we could see the damage, see the smoke, see the fire. That’s when I said to Pete– “Pete, this’ll be the worst day of our lives.” And, you know, that was before I knew the half of it.
Radio Transmission from Pete Ganci: Car 3 to Manhattan, K.
Pete Ganci’s voice was recorded en route.
Radio Transmission from Pete Ganci: Transmit a fifth alarm for this box and get us a staging area chief, uh, chief, somewhere on West Street, K.
A “box” is a location. “K” signals the end of a message — a throwback to the 19th-century telegraph which, on this day, was punctuating the greatest crisis in the department’s 136 years.
Peter Hayden: Right away I got a deep sense that we were going to lose a lot of firefighters this day.
Division One Commander Peter Hayden met Battalion Chief Joe Pfeifer in the lobby of the burning tower.
Peter Hayden: Well, I knew that we weren’t gonna be able to put out the fire. So, the order of the day was to search and evacuate as many people as we could. And then we were gonna back away.
The fire was 93 floors above. Elevators were out, so firefighters climbed tight stairwells shouldering 75 pounds and more.
Peter Hayden: And I thought we would have enough time to get the people out. And everybody that was above the impact of the plane we were pretty much sure were either dead already or going to die. There were a lot of people jumping out already.
1,355 people were trapped above the fire. The Boeing 767 had severed all three stairwells—leaving one way out.
Radio Transmission: …Jumpers, K! Jumpers!
Radio Transmission: Alright Division 1 be advised, Battalion 2 advised he has jumpers from the World Trade Center.
Joe Pfeifer: We heard a loud thud. And I knew that was somebody that either fell or jumped from the building.
The first firefighter killed was hit by a fellow human being.
Joe Pfeifer: It was happening so rapidly that I grabbed the PA system at the fire command post And I said, “The firefighters are coming. If you can, hold on.”
Sal Cassano: It’s something that’s gonna haunt us probably for the rest of our lives.
Tour commander Sal Cassano had arrived precisely 17 minutes after the North Tower was hit.
Sal Cassano: Just as I got outta my car, I heard another explosion. And I can tell you exactly what time it was. It was 9:03, because that was the plane that hit the South Tower.
Radio Transmission: You have a second plane into the other tower, the tower of the trade center! Major fire!
Radio Transmission: Mayday! Mayday! Engine, ah, another plane hit the second tower, K.
The second 767 exploded into floors 77 through 85. Now, 2,000 people were trapped a quarter-mile high. Cassano ran into the department chaplain, Mychal Judge.
Sal Cassano: And I just told him, “Father we’re gonna be in for a bad day. You’re gonna need a lot more chaplains here.”
Peter Hayden: You know, the more and more firefighters they kept coming in, they took their assignments with no question, pretty tough to do.
Scott Pelley: But it’s also hard to give them those assignments.
Peter Hayden: It was, it was, but I could tell that when I gave the assignments out, I could see the look in their eyes. I remember seeing firefighters hugging each other. And heading up.
Scott Pelley: How many firefighters did you see that day refuse to go up the stairs?
Joe Pfeifer: Nobody refused to go in.
Joe Pfeifer: I could remember one lieutenant from Engine 33 coming up to me and not saying a word. And we stood there wondering if we were both gonna be okay. And that lieutenant was my brother Kevin. And then I told him what I told many of the other fire officers. I said, “Go up to the 70th floor.”
Seventy, they hoped, could be a staging area in the North Tower.
In less than half an hour the FDNY had rescue operations in the North Tower, the South Tower and the nearly sold-out 800-room hotel between them.
Sal Cassano: From the time the first plane hit the North Tower until the second tower collapsed was 102 minutes. The things that were going through Pete’s mind in just 102 minutes is just mind-boggling.
Sal Cassano was with Chief of Department Pete Ganci at his command post on the street, below the towers.
Scott Pelley: Was Ganci the kind of boss that you did things for because you feared him, or because you desperately did not want to let him down?
Sal Cassano: You did it because you loved him.
Ganci joined the FDNY in 1968.
Scott Pelley: What kind of man was Peter Ganci?
Dan Nigro: Pete, I guess people would say he’s my alter ego. Had a chest full of medals. And he was just a down-to-earth, honest, hard-working guy. You know he was a paratrooper in the Army, worked his way up to be chief of department in the FDNY. Quite a story.
A story of courage over his 33-year career.
Scott Pelley: He won the department’s medal of valor. Crawling into a burning apartment on his hands and knees, grabbing a child who was certainly going to die, and dragging that child out and saving her life.
Sal Cassano: That’s the kind of person Pete was. He would put people before himself without a doubt.
He put his firefighters before himself three months before 9/11. Ganci, the chief of the department, responded from home to a call of firefighters trapped in a burning store. He went in wearing shorts and boat shoes. He once said his 11,000 firefighters were his children. On that day in Queens, he lost three.
On 9/11, the man responsible for firefighter safety was Chief Al Turi, who was tormented by the passing minutes.
Al Turi: …Let it burn up. We ain’t putting this out.
He asked Pete Hayden if he had considered the threat of a partial, localized collapse on the burning floors.
Peter Hayden: I said yes but, we needed to get the people out. There were hundreds upon hundreds of people coming down the interior stairs.
Scott Pelley: How much time did you think you had?
Peter Hayden: I thought we had a couple of hours.
The chiefs knew, no steel high rise in history had ever completely collapsed due to fire.
Dan Nigro: None of us expected the building to come down. We expected the fire to keep burning, and conditions to get worse. But if we could just get one route above in each building, perhaps we could bring some folks down, at least.
Scott Pelley: You just needed a little more time.
Dan Nigro: We just needed time.
CNN
No one would do more with time than Orio Palmer. That’s him on the right with the mustache. He’s receiving orders to go to the South Tower to try to clear a path to the trapped souls calling 911.
911 operator: How many people where you’re at right now?
Melissa Doi: There’s like five people here with me.
911 operator: All up on the 83rd floor?
Melissa Doi: 83rd floor.
9/11 Memorial & Museum
32-year-old Melissa Doi was saying the Hail Mary prayer when 911 answered. The once aspiring ballerina was a manager in a financial firm on 83, one of the burning floors in the South Tower.
Melissa Doi: Are they going to be able to get someone up here?
911 operator: Of course ma’am we’re coming up to you.
Melissa Doi: Well, there’s no one here yet and the floor is completely engulfed. We’re on the floor and we can’t breathe. And it’s very, very, very hot.
The operator was right, someone was rising toward Melissa Doi. Orio Palmer ran marathons as a hobby.
Radio Transmission from Orio Palmer: Battalion 7, Ladder 1-5,
“Battalion 7” is Chief Palmer. “Ladder 1-5” is a team of firefighters, a few floors below.
Radio Transmission from Joe Leavey: What do you got up there, Chief?
Radio Transmission from Orio Palmer: I’m still in “boy” stairway, 74th floor. No smoke or fire problems, the walls are breached, so be careful.
FDNY
This is ladder 15’s lieutenant, Joe Leavey.
Radio Transmission from Joe Leavey: Alright, we’re on 71 we’re coming up behind you.
Radio Transmission from Orio Palmer: I found a Marshal on 75.
Palmer found Fire Marshal Ron Bucca on the 75th floor, evacuating civilians.
FDNY
Radio Transmission from Orio Palmer: Battalion 7, Ladder 1-5.
Radio Transmission from Joe Leavey: 1-5.
Radio Transmission from Orio Palmer: I’m going to need two of your firefighters “adam” stairway to knock down two fires, we have a house line stretched, we could use some water on it, knock it down, K.
Palmer had discovered the only intact stairway to the top of the South Tower. Unlike the North Tower, the second plane had missed stairway “A.”
Radio Transmission from Joe Leavey: We’re on 77 now in the B stair. I’ll be right to you.
FDNY
If Palmer could clear this stairwell, 619 souls would have a way out. He was five floors below Melissa Doi and rising.
Melissa Doi: I’m going to die, aren’t I?
911 operator: No, no, no, no, no, no …
Melissa Doi: I’m gonna die.
911 operator: Ma’am, ma’am, ma’am say your prayers. We’re not gonna…
Melissa Doi: I’m gonna die.
911 operator: We’re gonna think positive because you’ve gotta help each other get off the floor.
Radio Transmission from Orio Palmer: We have access stairs going up to 79, K.
Radio Transmission from Ladder 15: Alright I’m on my way up, Orio.
Melissa Doi: I’m going to die.
911 operator: Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm.
Melissa Doi: Please God.
911 operator: You’re doing a good job, ma’am. You’re doing a good job …
Melissa Doi: It’s so hot. I’m burning up…
An hour had passed since the attack on the World Trade Center began. In the South Tower, Battalion 7 Chief Orio Palmer took the only working elevator as high as it would go. Then, he led the men of Ladder 15 on a climb from the 40th floor. Palmer was trying to clear a path to 619 people trapped by fire.
Radio Transmission from Orio Palmer: Battalion 7, Ladder 1-5.
This is Palmer’s radio transmission from the 78th floor of the South Tower. He’s calling the firefighters of Ladder 15 who are coming up with rescue gear from a few floors below.
Radio Transmission from Orio Palmer: We’ve got two isolated pockets of fire. We should be able to knock it down with two lines. Radio, radio that. 78th floor. Numerous 10-45 code 1’s.
10-45 code 1’s were fatalities, more than he could count. Palmer pressed toward 79, climbing at about one floor a minute. As he rose, Melissa Doi, speaking to 911 from the 83rd floor, thought she heard someone.
Melissa Doi: Wait, wait, we hear voices. Hello! Help!
911 operator: Hello ma’am?
Melissa Doi: Help! Oh my God!
911 operator: Are they coming through to you now?
Melissa Doi: Find out if there is anyone here on the 83rd floor!
911 operator: Ma’am, don’t worry, you stay on the phone with me …
Melissa Doi: Can you find out if there is anyone here on the 83rd floor because we think we heard somebody!
We don’t know what she heard. But hearing no answer to her shout, Melissa Doi returned to the call.
Melissa Doi: Can you, can you… stay on the line with me please?
911 operator: Yes, ma’am…
Melissa Doi: I feel like I’m dying.
Joe Pfeifer: Orio Palmer knew how dangerous this was. And he didn’t stop. Ladder 15 knew how dangerous it was. But we never thought that an entire high-rise building would collapse. There was no history of it anywhere in the world.
But this day, history was changing because the planes had blasted away the spray-on fireproof foam insulating the structural steel. The burning floors were sagging, slowly pulling the exterior inward. EMS Division Chief John Peruggia was in the city emergency operations center, where he received a warning from an official he believes was an engineer.
John Peruggia: He said, “The buildings are severely compromised. You can see slight lean. They’re in danger of collapse.” So I grabbed one of my staff guys, EMT Rich Zarrillo. And I said, “Rich go to Pete Ganci, don’t talk to anyone else, and deliver this message: the buildings are in danger of collapse.”
In a four-second video, at the far left of the screen, you see Rich Zarrillo’s blue shirt. He’s delivering the warning to Pete Ganci. Zarrillo hardly got the words out when Ganci’s attention was drawn to a roar from the South Tower above him.
Sal Cassano: Loud noise, had no idea what it was. All we saw was this plume of dust and smoke and debris.
In the moment before, Melissa Doi had given the 911 operator her mother’s phone number and the message that her daughter loved her. Then, there was silence.
911 operator: Oh my God. Melissa, please. You’re gonna be alright. You’re gonna be fine. You’re gonna talk to your mother yourself. But you gotta think positive. You gotta stay calm. Ok? You’re gonna talk to your mother yourself, alright? Melissa?
Scott Pelley: Palmer’s last radio transmission was Battalion 7 to Ladder 15, and there’s nothing after that. That’s when the tower collapses. He must have known that with every step he ascended, his chance of survival dropped.
Sal Cassano: Didn’t deter him one bit. The only thing that was in his mind was, “Let me get up there. Let me get as many people out as I can as quickly as I can.”
Joe Pfeiffer, next door in the North Tower, was 200 feet from the cascading twin.
Joe Pfeifer: And then the lobby goes pitch black… And in the darkness, I wondered if I was dead or alive… And I got on my radio. And I said, “Command to all units in Tower One…
Joe Pfeifer: Evacuate the building.
Peter Hayden: Joe Pfeifer was giving the order to evacuate. And one of the firefighters were calling my name… He says, “We have somebody down.”
Joe Pfeifer: I felt somebody at my feet. And I saw this was our fire department chaplain, Father Mychal Judge. I removed his white collar. I checked for his pulse and breathing. And he had none. And I knew he was gone.
Peter Hayden: Several of us picked him up and we carried him out. The EMTs that had taken him, actually took him, not to the morgue, but they took him to St. Peter Claver which is a Catholic church a little bit north of the Trade Center. And they laid him on the altar, and they called out the Franciscan priests to come down and get him.
Radio Transmission: Tower Two has had a major explosion and what appears to be a complete collapse!
Radio Transmission: Have them mobilize the Army! We need the Army in Manhattan.
John Sudnik: There was a rush of dust with high pressure coming in, you know, with force that I’ve never experienced before.
Ganci’s streetside command post had been set up next to an underground garage in case shelter was needed. Captain John Sudnik, Ganci and the chiefs dove into the entrance.
John Sudnik: I just remember the dust that day, feeling like it was searing your lungs. Like it was, like, it felt like you were swallowing glass.
Sal Cassano: Pitch black, pitch black. But we heard voices, “Are you okay, are you okay?” And then that’s when we made our way back up.
Sal Cassano: And then, when we got up to where the command post was, Pete’s mind went into rescue mode.
Pete Ganci heard, on the radio, the cries of trapped and wounded firefighters.
Sal Cassano: And I remember him giving orders. “I need truck companies. I need rescue company. Tell ’em to come with me.”
As he had before, Ganci went into the debris to save his men himself. In the still standing North Tower, many firefighters refused the order to evacuate while they were still carrying the wounded and disabled. Ganci sent Sal Cassano to set up a new command post. Twenty-eight minutes later, Cassano was on his way back.
Sal Cassano: And then I look up and all I could see was the antennae from the North Tower imploding.
Radio Transmission: The other tower has just collapsed! Major collapse! Major collapse!
Regina Wilson: I, in my mind, had to be resolved with death.
Regina Wilson was on the street below the tower. She was with Engine 219, in her second year as a firefighter.
Regina Wilson: And I prayed, and then I just asked God to just protect me. And then, if he couldn’t, I knew that I would die doin’ what I love.
Inside the collapsing North Tower, the men of Engine 39 were caught in a stairwell.
Jeff Coniglio: And it started out slow, boom… boom… boom. Then it got quicker, where pretty soon it was just like, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, coming down.
Jeff Coniglio and Jamie Efthimiades were on the stairs near the ground floor with 110 floors above them.
Jamie Efthimiades: It took ten seconds for it to come down, but it felt like ten minutes. I saw– I was in the background of a funeral: I saw my casket, I saw my parents, my wife sitting in the front. And as I’m watching this, I’m like, “All right, it’s gonna be quick.” I’m just waiting for something to tap my shoulder and figure, “I’ll feel a tap, and that’ll be it, we’ll be gone,” you know? “We’re not gonna suffer.”
James McGlynn and Bob Bacon were in the same stairwell.
Bob Bacon: You know, the wind actually came up the stairwell. You know, blew me into the air and the landing that I was on just disintegrated underneath me, and I kinda bounced, you know, back and forth and ended up hangin’ from like a pipe.
James McGlynn: I think I said a couple of prayers and said, “God, please get us outta here.”
Their fragment of an intact stairwell lay upon a mountain of misery — 16 acres of wreckage, 91 crushed FDNY vehicles, and quiet like the first heavy snow of winter.
Peter Hayden: Every once in a while, you’d hear the radio, the dispatcher on a radio trying to contact somebody.
Dispatch: Alright, Manhattan announcing, any division or any staff chief at the scene of the World Trade Center, K.
Silence spoke of unimaginable loss.
Dispatch: Any division chief or any staff chief at the scene of any of the World Trade Centers? K.
Joe Pfeifer: That day, 23 battalion chiefs responded. Only four of us survived.
Joe Pfeifer thought of the lieutenant of Engine 33, his brother, Kevin, who Pfeifer sent up the North Tower.
Joe Pfeifer: I got on my radio, and I said, “Battalion one to Engine 33.” And I repeated it several times. And I didn’t get an answer.
Kevin Pfeifer was gone and so was the crew of Ladder 105, which rolled from Regina Wilson’s firehouse.
Regina Wilson: We found the truck. We didn’t find the members.
Scott Pelley: What happened to them?
Regina Wilson: They all died.
Among them was John Chipura, her mentor and her savior. Regina Wilson was assigned to the doomed Ladder 105, but early that morning, before the attack, John Chipura asked to switch jobs, which put her among the survivors of Engine 219.
Regina Wilson: I try to honor him by talking his name. And that’s how it is in the African American culture. When you speak the name of an ancestor or you speak the name of a loved one, then they live. And so, every time I say John’s name, he lives. And that gives me comfort.
Jeff Coniglio: It was very hot.
Jamie Efthimiades: Oh, yeah.
The men of Engine 39 were trapped in the wreckage near the North Tower lobby. They could hear, only a few feet away, Battalion Chief Richard Prunty, who was pinned and calling for help.
Jeff Coniglio: We couldn’t get to him and he was passing out.
Jamie Efthimiades: Yeah he was coming in and out
Scott Pelley: Did you hear his radio transmissions?
Jeff Coniglio: The last thing that he said was, of course, about his wife, and saying that–
Jamie Efthimiades: “Tell my wife and children I love ’em.”
Jeff Coniglio: Yeah, that they were the most– “my wife– that she was the most important thing in the world to me.”
Those words were among Richard Prunty’s last. The men of Engine 39 were rescued, but 343 members of the FDNY were gone. In a tradition where the job is handed down in families, many lost fathers, sons and brothers.
Peter Hayden: Guys I had worked with both retired and active, saying to me, “Petey–” you know, “Have you seen my son?” And– you know, firefighter– young firefighter coming up, you know, “Chief, have you seen my father?” Who I knew and– I– I just said, “No.” I didn’t have the courage to tell him what I knew to be true.
Among the fallen were Peter Ganci and 71-year-old Deputy Fire Commissioner William Feehan, who had gone with Ganci to rescue the trapped. Pete Hayden climbed atop an engine to address the living.
Peter Hayden: I yelled out, you know, “We just lost a lot of guys here today. Let’s have a moment of silence.” And well– I took my helmet off. And we held it. I held it. And after a while, I put my helmet back on. They put their helmets back on. I said, “Okay, we have a job to do. (CLAP) Let’s do it.”
Scott Pelley: Do you look back and wonder, “How did I survive, and 343 members did not?”
Sal Cassano: Yeah. I didn’t think about it as much. We were crazy busy. I was working 18 hours a day, and then it hit me. I says, “I’m here.” You know, I mean, I get home and I’m tired, and there was always food on the table waiting for me when I came home, no matter what time I came home. And… I’m lying in bed. And I ask my wife, “Why me?” And she said, “Did you ever think there was a job for you to do?”
There was a job for Cassano and others, to do — rebuilding the FDNY.
Volunteers started fighting fire in Manhattan in 1648. Nearly 200 years later, during the Civil War, an entire New York regiment was manned by firefighters. Their commander is quoted, “I want New York firemen, for there are no more effective men in the country…” As those veterans returned home in 1865, the modern FDNY was created. The department’s traditions are handed down in families. And so, it remains, especially for the children of 9/11’s fallen.
The late chief of department, Peter Ganci, had three children. His daughter married a firefighter. His son Captain Peter Ganci III was 27 on 9/11. His other son, Battalion Chief Chris Ganci, was 25.
Scott Pelley: How did you learn your father died?
Chris Ganci: I ran home, and I got in the door right when Steve Moseillo, who was my dad’s driver, Al Turi, who was the Chief of Safety… I just remember them telling my mom that he’s gone. And she said, “Gone where?” Like that. Like, innocently. And they’re like, “He’s dead.” And I remember the scream that she– that she let out. I can still hear it– my ears and it pains me to hear it. The pain of the realization that he’s never walking back in the door.
Scott Pelley: Pete, what kind of man was he?
Peter Ganci III: He loved being around family. But his family was also the fire department. We knew it. My mom knew it. Sometimes to his dismay. But we understood the type of person that he was and why he chose our chosen career.
Scott Pelley: Chris, you were in business and on your way to an MBA. Did 9/11 make you a fireman?
Chris Ganci: Absolutely. Had 9/11 not happened, I would not have been a New York City firefighter.
Scott Pelley: You’ve quoted your dad as telling new graduates from the Fire Academy, “You will never, ever be rich. But you will always be happy.”
Chris Ganci: “You’ll always be happy.” It’s hard to explain to people, how, like, you could get injured or you could get killed but yet, somehow, you come home with a smile on your face. Like, I enjoy being part of the organization, it makes…gives me a sense of pride that I never felt anywhere else. And maybe that’s what had driven my father for so many years.
Josephine Smith: My name is Josephine Smith, and I work in Engine 39.
Josephine Smith’s late father, 47-year-old Kevin Smith, was with Hazmat One on 9/11.
Josephine Smith: I always wanted to be like my father. I always wanted to be brave like him, and strong and willing.
Josephine Smith: It really just runs through our blood, generation to generation. I just think it’s just who we are. It’s our passion. It’s our upbringing.
Scott Pelley: Somebody else might have thought, with such grievous loss, I don’t want to have anything to do with that.
Josephine Smith: It’s not the job that took my father, it was an act of terrorism that took my father. And that made me want to fight even more to protect the City of New York and the citizens, “You may have taken my father from me, but the passion in the blood is still there.”
John Palombo: I’m John Palombo. I work in 92 Engine in South Bronx.
Tommy Palombo: I’m Tommy Palombo. I work in 69 Engine in Harlem.
Scott Pelley: John, how old were you on 9/11?
John Palombo: I was a week away from being 8 years old.
Tommy Palombo: And I was 9.
Scott Pelley: How many kids in the Palombo family?
John Palombo: There’s ten of us. Eight boys and two girls.
The Palombo brothers’ dad, Frank Palombo, was 46 when he died—Ladder 105. In a sense, it wasn’t 9/11 that made the Palombo boys firefighters, it was September the 12th —and all the days that followed.
John Palombo: My dad’s brothers and sisters in the firehouse, they cooked for us. They drove us places. They took us to Six Flags. I remember going on their shoulders and, you know, they’d take us by the arms and spin us in circles.
The firehouse turned out for birthdays and games.
Tommy Palombo: The stands were filled at the hockey games, you know. It wasn’t the same because you are missing the one person that you want there, but they do everything they can to fill it. They never will, but they did everything they could to fill it as hard as it was for them, taking time away from their own families.
The firehouse cooked dinner for the 10 Palombos and their mother, every Monday, for five years, until the family moved away.
Mike Florio: I’m a firefighter in Engine 214, Ladder 111 in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. My name is Michael Florio.
Mike Florio’s dad, John Florio, was 33 years old on 9/11 — Engine 214, the same house where his son works today.
Mike Florio: Every day I walk in, my father’s picture is on the wall. There’s a lot of memorials of him and the other four guys that passed on 9/11. I do have a lot of memories from the firehouse being a young boy. And just walking in there every day and seeing his pictures it brings back those memories. It makes me feel closer to him being there every day.
More than 60 children of 9/11’s fallen have been through the training academy, on Randall’s Island in the East River, and are now ‘on the job.’ To join, they took a written exam that’s given only once every four years. About 60,000 applicants take it. And only those in the top 10% earn a place in the rank and file.
Dan Nigro: I’m very proud of them. I feel that their– their fathers would have been very proud of them.
Dan Nigro, Chief Ganci’s number two on 9/11, was promoted to chief of department and became the city fire commissioner. Among the others in our story, John Sudnik, a captain on 9/11, rose to chief of department, and so did Peter Hayden. Sal Cassano became fire commissioner.
Battalion Chief Joe Pfeifer became chief of counterterrorism and now teaches crisis leadership. Regina Wilson was studying for the lieutenant’s exam.
And Orio Palmer’s name lives on the FDNY’s award for the most physically fit firefighters.
Dan Nigro: A lot of bravery. A lot of bravery was displayed that day. And– followed by a lot of sadness.
Scott Pelley: Commissioner, it seems to be a sad day for you 20 years later.
Dan Nigro: I think for everyone that was there that day, it just stayed with them, the sadness. We have plenty of good days, plenty to be thankful for, those of us who survived, but it’s a day that’ll never leave, never leave you.
Scott Pelley: Sadness becomes part of your life.
Dan Nigro: Absolutely.
Scott Pelley: Your father survived the collapse of the first tower. And instead of moving to safety, he went to answer the mayday calls from his trapped firefighters.
Radio Transmission: Receiving reports of firefighters trapped and down.
Scott Pelley: He knew that the other building was in imminent danger of collapsing. He had decided in that moment that he was not going home.
Chris Ganci: Yeah, I mean, He chose his guys. And, you know, we can get angry about it. And I know my sister and my mother, we sometimes– we hit our head against the wall. But when the smoke clears and you think about it, it was the only decision. I knew the way he felt about his men and his job and the FDNY and he was going to stay and see the job through. And…
Peter Ganci III: He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he left and, you know, one more guy was killed. It’s just the way he was. It was, I have to be there until the last guy is out.
Today’s recruits were children then. And so, they muster. Before memories–three columns of the World Trade Center—and 343 lives—which are, here, indelible in time.
Regina Wilson: So many of us sacrificed so much that this story can’t get lost. Because the world is changing fast. And I don’t want this to be something that’s in a history book that a page is turned, and we’re forgotten.
We cannot do justice, in this hour, or any number of hours, to the sacrifices of the FDNY, the New York City Police Department, the Port Authority police, and those who fought to save lives at the Pentagon, and on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
At the Trade Center, 2,753 people perished. but there were more than 17 thousand in the towers and 99 percent of those below the fires, survived.
That morning, this reporter watched firefighters rush into the stairwells and wondered how they found the courage.
After 23 years of reflection, it’s clear;
They climbed to rise—
To rise to the cries 1,000 feet above them.
To rise to the defense of the firefighter beside them.
To rise beyond duty to a place of selfless devotion.
Produced by Maria Gavrilovic. Associate producers, Tadd J. Lascari and Alex Ortiz. Broadcast associate, Michelle Karim. Edited by Peter M. Berman and April Wilson.
Washington — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House next week, in what could be his last visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before President Biden leaves office.
The two leaders will meet on Thursday. Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with Zelenskyy separately as well, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“The leaders will discuss the state of the war between Russia and Ukraine, including Ukraine’s strategic planning and U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “The president and vice president will emphasize their unshakeable commitment to stand with Ukraine until it prevails in this war.”
The meeting comes as Ukraine has pushed U.S. officials and NATO allies to lift restrictions on Kyiv’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against targets in Russian territory. Zelenskyy discussed the matter with Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a meeting last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the firing of long-range missiles into Russia would represent a major escalation of NATO’s involvement in the war, which has dragged on for two and a half years.
Zelenskyy has been appreciative of Mr. Biden’s support for Ukraine and in rallying other nations to support Kyiv over the course of the war. Harris has pledged to continue that support.
“I’m looking forward to hosting my friend President Zelenskyy of Ukraine next week at the White House,” Mr. Biden posted on X. “During his visit, I’ll reaffirm America’s commitment to supporting Ukraine as it defends its freedom and independence.”
The next week is heavy on foreign policy for Mr. Biden. Over the weekend, he will host the Quad Leaders Summit — composed of the leaders of Australia, India and Japan — at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. That summit will focus on their shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The president is also attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, where Zelenskyy is likewise slated to speak.
CBS News
Scarlett Johansson on bringing Avengers-style physicality to voicing Elita-1 in “Transformers One”
Scarlett Johansson says she’s embracing the similarities between herself and the character of Elita-1 in her latest role in Transformers One. The Oscar-nominated actress voices a fierce leader of the Autobots in her role.
The role was tailor-made for Johansson after director Josh Cooley reached out to her personally and he said he could hear her voice in the role.
“It was a surprise to me,” she said. “It was such a great script. It had such cinematic qualities. It has so much heart. This film has so much heart. It really has amazing messaging in there, and it’s really funny, too.”
Johansson said physical demands of voice acting, particularly for action-packed scenes, are just as intense to some of her other action film roles. Johansson compared the experience to her decade-long work as Black Widow in “The Avengers” films, where intense physicality was essential.
“You’re squatting and punching and running in place … it’s just really very physical, but it brings the action to life,” she said.
When asked if she sees any similarities between herself and Elita-1, Johansson smiled.
“She’s very driven, she has a healthy ambition. She believes in her ability. She has all of these qualities that make a leader,” she said. “She’s a little bit of a control freak, which I may or may not know something about.”
“Transformers One,” distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is part of CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, will be in theaters on Friday.
Amazon
Mark the dates, clear your schedule and prepare your spending budget, because Amazon has officially announced that its October Prime Big Deal Days sale event will be held on October 8 and October 9. To experience the most savings during this epic two-day extravaganza, be sure that you’re an active Amazon Prime member ($139 per year). Leading up to this much-anticipated sale, Amazon has already begun slashing prices on all sorts of popular items.
12 pre-Prime Big Deal Days discounts available right now
There’s no need wait for the October Prime Big Deal Days event to kick off, because right now, there are all sorts of great deals to be found shopping on Amazon. Our team of expert deal seekers has curated this pre-sale roundup of awesome money-saving offers.
Amazon 50″ Fire 4K 4-Series TV: $300 (33% off)
Amazon
If you need a TV for a guest room, child’s bedroom or other smaller space, check out this 50-inch Amazon Fire 4-Series smart TV that’s now on sale for 33% off. This sale brings the TV’s price down to just $300.
This TV comes with an Alexa voice remote and runs using the popular Amazon FireTV OS. This means it’s ready to stream content from all of the popular services you subscribe to, including Amazon Prime Video, which comes free with your Amazon Prime membership.
This is a 4K resolution TV that supports HDR10 and HGL, plus Dolby Digital Plus for sound. And since the Amazon Alexa digital assistant is integrated into this TV, you can use the voice remote to control the TV and any other compatible smart gear that’s installed in your home. On the back of the TV, there are four HDMI ports, so it’s easy to connect your cable box, a sound bar, video game console or other gear.
Based on more than 38,700 reviews on Amazon, this TV has earned a 4.5-star rating out of five, so you know people love it.
Apple AirPods Pro 2: $190 (24% off)
Amazon
Apple continues to add new functionality to its highest-end wireless earbuds. In fact, the FDA recently approved that the AirPods Pro 2 will soon have the functionality to serve as over-the-counter hearing aids.
However, if your hearing isn’t impaired, the AirPods Pro 2 offer powerful features that make listening to any type of audio an absolute pleasure. And they work extremely well during hands-free calls, too.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 offer active noise cancellation, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and a slew of other features. Plus, they’re IP54-rated for sweat, dust and water resistance.
These AirPods come with a wireless charging case. They make the perfect audio companions to an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook or iMac. And right now, these bestselling wireless earbuds are 24% off, so you can purchase them for just $190.
For help deciding which Apple AirPods model is best for you, be sure to check out our newly updated 2024 Apple AirPods buyer’s guide.
Vizio 40″ Full HD TV: $148 (13% off)
Amazon
Here’s an entry-level, 40-inch, LED smart TV that offers 1080p resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. It’s compatible with virtually all of the popular video streaming services you subscribe to, including Amazon Video Prime which comes free with your Amazon Prime membership.
For a limited time leading up to the big Prime Big Deal Days sale, Amazon has reduced the price of this Vizio TV to a mere $148 — that’s 13% off it’s usual price.
This TV offers full array LED backlighting that’s fine-tuned at a granular level with what Vizio calls Active Pixel Tuning. This technology helps to ensure a clear and detailed picture quality at a very affordable price.
One notable feature is that if you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, you can pair them with this TV to enjoy a private listening experience. The TV also supports Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast, so you can stream content directly from your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen): $105 (30% off)
Amazon
On its own, the Amazon Echo Show 8 home hub can serve as an interactive smart speaker that gives you easy access to the Alexa digital assistant. The device can also be used to stream video content from the internet and participate in video calls. Plus, if you have Alexa-compatible smart home gear, you can control it using voice commands via the Echo Show 8.
Released in 2023, this edition of the Amazon Echo Show offers an 8-inch touchscreen display. And its built in speakers support spatial audio, so when you stream music, it can fill a room with robust and life-like sound. One notable feature is that the Echo Show can share data with your smartphone, so you can use it to check your schedule or display your favorite photos in an animated slideshow format.
Based on more than 9,500 reviews on Amazon, this edition of the Echo Show 8 has earned a 4.5-star out of five rating. Right now, it’s on sale for 30% off, so you can purchase it for just $105. And if you have an older Amazon smart speaker or home hub to trade in, Amazon will give you an extra 20% off the purchase of this device — just click on the “Save 20% with Trade-In” button located on the home hub’s product page.
Dyson V8 cordless vacuum cleaner: $388 (17% off)
Amazon
Enjoy a cleaner home when you use this Dyson V8 cordless vacuum cleaner to suck up unwanted dirt and dust. It works on all floor types and is battery powered, so you can maneuver it around easily, without having to drag a long extension cord behind you. And because this vacuum weighs just 5.6 pounds, it’s easy to carry around.
This bagless vacuum comes with four popular accessories and has an integrated HEPA filter. It’s designed to collect pet hair without getting tangled, thanks to Dyson’s de-tangling motorbar. With a fully charged battery, the vacuum will run for up to 40 minutes of continuous use.
Thanks to its modular design, the Dyson V8 easily converts into a handheld vacuum, too. It’s bin capacity is 0.14 gallons. Head over to Amazon right now to get 17% off this popular vacuum. It’s currently on sale for just $388. Based on more than 3,400 reviews on Amazon, it’s earned a 4.3-star out of five rating.
iRobot Roomba i3+ Evo (3554): $300 (32% off)
Amazon
If you have a lot of floors in your home, there’s no longer a need to manually vacuum them. The latest robotic vacuums, like this popular iRobot Roomba i3 Evo, can work autonomously and on a preset schedule to keep your home’s floors clean and dirt-free.
Using the iRobot smartphone app, you can set a schedule for when and how often you want this robot vacuum to clean each room of your home. Or, using a simple voice command, you can activate it to quickly clean up a newly formed mess. Using smart mapping technology, the robot learns the layout of your home, so it can avoid crashing into furniture or accidentally falling down stairs.
One feature we like is that it automatically empties its bin on its own for up to 60 days, so it basically cleans up after itself by emptying its vacuum bin into an enclosed bag that’s easy to dispose of. This robot uses iRobot’s proprietary three-stage cleaning system that relies on dual multi-surface rubber brushes to agitate and lift dirt.
For a limited time, Amazon has discounted the Roomba i3+ Evo by 32%, which brings its price down to just $300.
Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer: $90 (25% off)
Amazon
As Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale event draws closer, we’re discovering more and more bestselling products being heavily discounted. Take this Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer. It’s currently on sale for 25% off, so you can purchase it for just $90.
Not only has this air fryer earned a 4.8-star out of five rating on Amazon, based on more than 3,300 reviews, it also continues to sell more than 10,000 units per month.
This is a six quart capacity air fryer that offers five fan speeds. It can reach up to 450-degrees Fahrenheit and uses 95% less oil, so the food it prepares is healthier to eat. And the smartphone app associated with this air fryer includes more than 100 easy to follow recipes.
Because this is a 9-in-1 device, it can air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, prepare frozen foods, proof, reheat, and keep foods warm. It’s the perfect alternative to using a traditional oven, microwave or dehydrator. Plus, the non-stick cooking basket and detachable components make cleaning a breeze, since they’re dishwasher safe.
ErGear height-adjustable electric standing desk: $128 (20% off)
Amazon
This is a sleek-looking, 48-by-24 inch electric standing desk that’s great for a home office or gaming setup. The desk comes in a variety of color combinations. It features a sturdy, alloy steel base and wood desktop.
You can freely select its standing desk height — between 28.35 and 46.46 inches — plus save your favorite three settings and smoothly switch between them.
The desk features powerful lifting performance and reliable long-term operation. It’s been tested 50,000 times and is still going strong. Based on more than 5,500 Amazon reviews, this desk has earned a 4.6-star out of five rating.
Right now, you can get this desk for 20% off, so you’ll pay just $128. And as an Amazon Prime member, of course you get free shipping. The desk comes with two storage hooks. A drawer and keyboard tray are sold separately
Apple iPad (10th Generation, Wi-Fi, 64GB): $299 (14% off)
Amazon
As you’d expect, this iPad 10th Generation is slightly more powerful than the 9th Generation version of Apple’s entry-level tablet. It’s a great option for younger kids, or anyone who wants the power of an iPad, without all of the extra and more advanced tech that’s built into the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air models.
You get a 10-inch Liquid Retina display. It’s powered using a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 10 hours. Choose between four casing colors — silver, blue, pink or yellow. This base model comes with 64GB of storage, but at the time of purchase, you can upgrade it to 256GB. Plus, you can choose between a Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + cellular model.
This version of the iPad is powered using Apple’s A15 Bionic processor. For wireless connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi 6. Plus, it comes with a 12MP front and rear-facing camera. The iPad 10th Generation runs the latest version of iOS 18 and comes with the same collection of preinstalled apps as all other current iPad models. Plus, you can further customize the tablet with optional apps available from the App Store.
For a limited time, Amazon has slashed 14% off the price of this popular iPad, so you can purchase it for just $299.
Dewalt 20V Max cordless drill/driver kit: $99 (45% off)
Amazon
During both Amazon Prime Day and Amazon Prime Deal Days sale events, Dewalt power tools are always wildly popular, especially when Amazon reduces their prices by 45% or more.
Right now, this bestselling 20 volt cordless drill and driver kit, which includes two rechargeable battery packs and a charger, is on sale for just $99. And Dewalt is also throwing in its iconic tool bag to store and transport your new power tool.
The drill’s high speed transmission delivers two speeds — either 0 to 450 or 1,500 rpm. This allows it to easily help you handle a range of fastening and drilling applications. Users of this drill also love the ergonomic handle that delivers comfort and control.
Based on more than 45,500 reviews on Amazon, the Dewalt 20V Max cordless drill/driver kit has earned a 4.8-star out of five rating. Plus, Amazon reports it sells more than 20,000 of these drills every month, so you know it’s built to get the job done.
Nintendo Switch: $265 (12% off)
Amazon
It’s not often that Nintendo’s bestselling Switch video game system goes on sale, so now that Amazon is offering it at 12% off, it’s the perfect time to snag one. Instead of paying $300, you can get this version of the Nintendo Switch for $265. It includes a 6.2-inch touchscreen LCD display.
What sets the Switch apart is that it offers three game play modes — TV, tabletop and handheld. It comes with one detachable Joy-Con controller. People of all ages love the Switch because it’s home to some of the most iconic games in video game history — many featuring stars like Mario, Luigi, Link, Princess Zelda, Donkey Kong, all of the Pokemon, and countless others.
The Switch also offers the largest library of family-friendly games, as well as a vast assortment of popular titles that’ll keep teens and adults challenged for hours on end. This version of the Switch that’s on sale is the all-gray edition.
Keurig K-Mini single serve K-Cup pod coffee maker: $60 (40% off)
Amazon
Enjoy your daily caffeine fix with this bestselling and easy to use Keurig K-Cup coffee maker. Choose between hundreds of K-Cup coffee, tea, hot cocoa and other drink varieties. This version of the coffee maker can brew up individual 6-ounce or 12-ounce servings.
Best of all, it’s just five inches wide, so it takes up minimal kitchen counter space. The coffee maker’s removable drip tray accommodates travel mugs up to 7.0 inches tall and holds a full accidental brew for easy cleanup. Plus, the auto off feature turns off your coffee maker 90 seconds after your last brew, which helps to save energy.
At the moment, Amazon is selling this popular Keurig coffee maker for a whopping 40% off, so you’ll pay just $60 (instead of its usual $100 price). Amazon sells more than 10,000 of this coffee maker model per month. Based on more than 100,000 user reviews on Amazon, it’s earned an impressive 4.5-star rating out of five.
What is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days?
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are mega-event sales during which Amazon slashes prices on tens of thousands of popular items. The sale lasts for just two days. Inventory on many products that go on sale is limited, so if you want to get the best deals, shop early to snag the items you want at a deep discount.
When is Amazon Prime Big Deal Days?
The next Amazon Prime Day Big Deals sale takes place on October 8 through October 9, but Amazon has already begun offering some amazing deals on popular products that you can take advantage of today.
Do you need to be a Amazon Prime member to shop the October Prime Day sale?
During the upcoming Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sale, many sales will be available to everyone. However, a large number of deep discounts on popular products will only be available to Amazon Prime members. So, if you haven’t joined Amazon Prime yet, what are you waiting for?
For just $14.99 per month or $139 per year, you get unlimited, free, two-day (or less) shipping on virtually everything you purchase from Amazon. You also get free access to Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Music, the Prime Gaming service, the Prime Reading services, free GrubHub+, extra savings on prescription medications and much more.
Zelenskyy to meet with Biden and Harris at the White House next week
Scarlett Johansson on bringing Avengers-style physicality to voicing Elita-1 in “Transformers One”
Officials ID 1 of 2 killed during 3 shootings in Minneapolis on Wednesday tied to same gunman
Zelenskyy to meet with Biden and Harris at the White House next week
Scarlett Johansson on bringing Avengers-style physicality to voicing Elita-1 in “Transformers One”