By Paul Garrod
Staff writer
news4garrod@gmail.com
Paw Paw Volunteer Firefighter Steve Richardson traveled to New York City on the 25th anniversary of 9-11, where he attended a memorial service for first responders and others who perished when the two Twin Towers collapsed after they were both struck by hijacked commercial airplanes.
Richardson, who returned home following the memorial service, reflected on his thoughts on that day 25 years ago.
“When we arrived in the area, traveling across from New Jersey, it was difficult to comprehend what we were looking at. The amount of smoke and pulverized components of the twin towers was hanging in the air hundreds of feet high across the lower third of Manhattan. We checked in to the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan and were immediately sent to Ground Zero where we reported to FDNY officials at the firehouse located at 124 Liberty Street.
Richardson said, “The firehouse housed Engine 10 and 10 truck (ladder company). The firehouse was known as “Ten House,” was located adjacent to the World Trade Center complex. The firehouse was filled with dust and debris from the collapse of the twin towers. It was a very surreal feeling arriving in lower Manhattan. It looked like a war zone. Our initial duties were to relocate a triage area that had been set up to a few blocks away. We then performed ‘bucket brigade’ duties on ‘the Pile.’”
“In between duties on the Pile, we cleaned debris and dust from inside the firehouse, including on the roof of the firehouse. We eventually recovered the American flag that had been flying over the firehouse buried in the debris. The firehouse then became a respite for first responders working the Pile, especially after locating and removing fallen personnel,” said Richardson.
“After 25 years the sights, smells and sounds remain vivid to me, as if they had occurred yesterday. Some of the more vivid memories that remain are the thousands of orange five-gallon buckets donated by Home Depot for use in the bucket brigades. Even today, when I see an orange bucket I am immediately taken back to Ground Zero. Another is while clearing debris from the apparatus floor at Ten House. Upon getting things cleared, we eventually came across boots and shoes located near each other. Those were from the firefighters at Ten House that mounted the fire apparatus to respond to what was to be their last alarm. That was somber duty to have to box up those and other personal belongings to provide to FDNY officials.
“This year, a seventh bell ringing was added to the annual memorial service to recognize the continued loss from the events of that day, 25 years ago. Thousands continue to be affected by the toxic dust that was in the air of lower Manhattan. Many have died and continue to die from exposure to toxins from the days, weeks and months after during the cleanup effort and rebuilding.
He concluded, “As stated, the memories of that day and the weeks after remain vivid in my mind. While I would like to put that behind me, I suppose it must remain present, so we Never Forget what happened. The most positive reminder of those days 25 years ago was how everyone came together in America, especially in Manhattan. As we went into Ground Zero that was an amazing sight to see. It is hard to believe that we, as a nation, went from that to the division we witness daily, today. That is very disheartening. However, as first responders, we continue to respond to emergencies just as we always have across this great nation. I have always felt blessed to serve, a sentiment that remains true for all first responders.”
Fellow firefighter Lloyd Mearing recalled that fateful day when he, Richardson, Ron Douglas, Jr., and Ron Douglas, Sr., all traveled to New York.
“The day of 9-11-2001, Ron Douglas, Jr., and I worked at Coca-Cola, Paw Paw, and saw the planes hit the towers while we were at work.
“Later that day, Ron came to me and asked what I thought about going to New York to see what we could do to help. I went to management, and they agreed they would let us off work to go to New York. They asked us how long we would be gone. We told them we will plan on a week, and if something changes, we’ll let them know.”
Mearing continued, “Ron went to his dad and Steve Richardson, our chief, at the time and let them know what we had planned. They packed clothes and went with us.
“We loaded my truck with all our turn out fire gear and left the next day. It took us about 12 hours to get there. During the trip, we came upon several toll booths, and the person asked us if we were going to New York. We told them yes, and they let us go through at no charge.
“We got there late that night, and they asked us to work right away. We stayed in a 5-star motel and were filthy after work, but they just followed us to our room with a mop.”
Mearing concluded, “Ten House was right across the street from the Twin Towers, and that was one of our projects to get it back in shape so it could be used.”
Paul, the orange buckets show how an ordinary object can become an involuntary marker of trauma, while the recovered boots make the loss painfully personal. Recording these firefighters’ oral histories alongside photographs of those objects would preserve details that formal memorials cannot fully carry.