Angel Rivera -- Firefighter (F.D.N.Y.)
Mike Mullan walked one flight up, and then the most horrendous thing happened. That's when hell came down. It was like a huge, enormous explosion. I
still can hear it. Everything shook. Everything went black. The wind rushed, very slowly [sound], all the dust, all the -- and everything went
dark.
Interview, 01/22/02, New York Times -
Source
Daniel Rivera -- Paramedic (E.M.S.) [Battalion 31]
Then that's when -- I kept on walking close to the south tower, and that's when that building collapsed.
It was a frigging noise. At first I thought it was -- do you ever see professional demolition where they set the charges on certain floors and then
you hear "Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop"? That's exactly what -- because I thought it was that. When I heard that frigging noise, that's when I saw the
building coming down.
Interview, 10/10/01, New York Times -
Source
Kennith Rogers -- Firefighter (F.D.N.Y.)
Meanwhile we were standing there with about five companies and we were just waiting for our assignment and then there was an explosion in the south
tower, which, according to this map, this exposure just blew out the flames. A lot of guys left at that point. I kept watching. Floor after floor
after floor. One floor under another after another and when it hit about the fifth floor, I figured it was a bomb, because it looked like a
synchronized deliberate kind of thing. I was there in '93.
Interview, 12/10/01, New York Times -
Source
Patrick Scaringello -- Lieutenant (E.M.S.)
I started to treat patients on my own when I heard the explosion from up above. I looked up, I saw smoke and flame and then I saw the top tower tilt,
start to twist and lean.
I was assisting in pulling more people out from debris, when I heard the second tower explode. When I tried to evacuate the area, by running up
Fulton, got halfway up.
Interview, 10/10/01, New York Times -
Source
Mark Steffens -- Division Chief (E.M.S.)
Then there was another it sounded like an explosion and heavy white powder, papers, flying everywhere. We sat put there for a few minutes. It kind of
dissipated.
That's when we heard this massive explosion and I saw this thing rolling towards us. It looked like a fireball and then thick, thick black smoke.
Interview, 10/03/01, New York Times -
Source
John Sudnik -- Battalion Chief (F.D.N.Y.)
The best I can remember, we were just operating there, trying to help out and do the best we could. Then we heard a loud explosion or what sounded
like a loud explosion and looked up and I saw tower two start coming down. Crazy.
Interview, 11/07/01, New York Times -
Source
Neil Sweeting -- Paramedic (E.M.S.)
You heard a big boom, it was quiet for about ten seconds. Then you could hear another one. Now I realize it was the floors starting to stack on top of
each other as they were falling. It was spaced apart in the beginning, but then it got to just a tremendous roar and a rumble that I will never
forget.
Interview, 11/01/01, New York Times -
Source
Continued...