Real Heroes of 9/11

"Fire Department of New York" vehicle near Ground Zero, New York, USA.

10 years ago happened the most meaningful and awful tragedy in the history of the USA, it has been written about a lot. The main heroes of those days were ordinary firemen. This profession is probably the most respected in the American society. People turn their faces to fire trucks passing by, every American boy dreams about being a fireman in future ... after 9/11 tragedy this day became the day of New York firemen.
This post is about the memorial centre in Ground Zero, the fire department of New York and the plans to build a new grand skyscraper on the place of the destroyed towers.

World Trade Center - the final destination of one of New York underground lines.

Coming out of the metro you find yourself near the big construction site.

Protective surfaces are made in quite a creative way.

The memorial cross that was erected in 2001 has been moved to the neighbouring block for some time.

The act of terror in September, 11th, 2001 is cloaked in many misteries with a great deal of versions and theories: the planes were told to be USAF unmanned aircrafts, the mystery of two flights that landed in the military airport of Cleveland, and the part of the fuselage that was allegedly left on one of the towers roof in advance and on purpose, and how Bush behaved right after the tragedy... but we will never know the truth, it's the big politics in fact. But the exploit of New York firemen in the first hours after the tragedy is out of the question.

This picture was drawn from the photo that became cult in the history of the Fire Department of New York. 

The firemen were the first who came to the place of the tragedy. The fire department of New York sent 200 men (half of the crew) to the place of the catastrophe, their attempts were highly contributed to by those who weren't duty that day but came to help voluntarily.  They say it was hard to contact 911 and those firemen who were inside of the towers. The radio broadcasting devices got out of order.

In some hours after the act of terror a big saving operation was started. They managed to find a little number of those who survived, in a week it became clear that no more survivors could be found. All the works took too much time, a huge heap of fragments continued burning for three months until most of them were moved away. Cleaning of the territory was finished only by March 2002.

During the rescue operations 343 firemen died. And of those who survived had to leave the profession due to physical and psycological problems.

Newsweek cover, an ipad screenshot, they made a selection of their September issues' covers during the last 10 years. The same firemen 10 years later.

The fire department is now on the same place where it was in 2001, right opposite the block with WTC towers. 

FDNY, Fire Department of New York: today it's more than 15 thousand employees, 11 thousand from which are firemen, 251 stations, 143 fire trucks and 3 boats.

Another interesting fact. One of the NY streets was named after the 1st seven firemen who died in the first hours after the act of terror - Seven in Heaven Way. However under the pressure of atheists the street got the new, more neutral name.

Medical consequences - lung cancer. The cloud around Manhatten was poisonous and very harmful. Primarily due to asbestos dust contained in it. 

The block where the two towers were situated. Now it is called "Ground Zero". During the last 10 years neighbouring buildings were demolished or bulwarked.  

Inside of the memorial center 9/11: photos and installations, burnt helmets, private items, notes, old phones... 

This is how Ground Zero looks in the project: on the place of the towers basements there are fountains that were opened in September, 11th.

In August 2011

Besides, two skyscrapers will be erected nearby, one of them - One World Trade Center - will become the highest building in New York. The construction started in 2006 and will be finished in 2013. 

New permanent memorial complex will be opened this year too.

Neighbouring blocks