nfd2004

Part of my latest email to Norwich City Officials. I titled it: "Totally Unacceptable by ANY Standards". I will QUOTE the majority of it to you.
 
 "As you may know, I work a part time job as a security guard at SMHA (Southeastern Mental Health Association).  I happened to be working the 4-12 pm shift, on Saturday August 27, 2016. My job is what they refer to as a Rover. I basically drive around the campus and assist in anyway that I might be needed at the various buildings on that site.
 
  At 7:07 pm I was driving by what is called "the Brief Care Building" and I noticed about 20 people standing outside in a group. In that Brief Care Building, there are people and patients being treated for various mental or social issues, under the care of a supervised staff. Some are sent there under court order. As I went to investigate, I was informed by my partner security guard over the radio that there is an active fire alarm coming from that Brief Care Building. I went to check to make sure everyone was out and the Brief Care staff informed us by radio that everyone was out and accounted for. My job then was just to make sure that no one reenters that building.
 
  Then we all waited for the Fire Department to arrive. As the clock was ticking, I thought of the Norwich Fire Department Headquarters only 1.8 miles up the road. Staffed with 9 Firefighters and 1 Battalion Chief. They could be here in no time.
 
  Then according to the official time on my cell phone, the next thing I notice is an individual show up at 7:12 pm.
  We are ALREADY Five Minutes into this incident. This individual gets out of his pick up truck, wearing shorts and a tee shirt, and no fire gear at all. He was only carrying a portable radio. By this time, I would assure you, had that Norwich Fire Dept been allowed to respond, there would have been nine firefighters, all fully equipped in full gear, and ready to go to work. In addition, there would be a battalion chief and I can assure you "he would NOT be wearing only a tee shirt and shorts, carrying a portable radio.
 
  Then much latter, at 7:19 pm (now 12 minutes into the incident), I notice EGP (Volunteer FD) Ladder 55 show up.
  Then later at 7:23 pm, EGP Engine 52 shows up.
  Now even if upon investigation they were told by radio to proceed with the flow of traffic, it still wouldn't take the Norwich Fire Dept that long to respond. I once joked saying; Those Norwich Firefighters could almost walk there and make it quicker.
 
  As it turned out, it was a defective smoke detector in Room 377. In that room were two beds with cloths piled on them. I will submit a video for you to view at the end of this email, to show you how quickly a fire could spread under similar conditions. Only THIS building having several more occupants, most with serious social issues.
 
  This is NOT at all meant to put down ALL volunteer firefighters. Just recently, a very well respected member of the Norwich Fire Dept returned to work after a full recovery from a very serious accident. When he returned back to work, I went to Norwich Fire Headquarters to visit him. One of the FIRST things he told me was how THANKFUL he was to the Volunteer Firefighters who helped to keep him alive during the very initial stages of his emergency care (Note - he is one of four captains within the dept). He had also told me that he had planned to visit those volunteer firefighters and personally thank them for what they did. I believe he was referring to the Volunteer Firefighters of the very small Town of Voluntown (CT). My point is, the Norwich Firefighters are NOT "Anti" or "Against" Volunteer Firefighters, as some might like to have you believe.
 
  (In the next two or three paragraphs which I excluded here, I went on to talk about the competition and required 18 week recruit school that any new Norwich Firefighter must undergo. Then a one year probation period under the watchful eye of his commanding officer BEFORE he can consider himself/herself OFFICIALLY a Norwich Firefighter. I also talked of the competition  among the best to become a Lt., Capt., or B/C often taking years of study etc). Then I added:
 
  I make that comparison to the Five Volunteer Chiefs we have here in Norwich. They DID NOT go through any of that. Yet we allow them to have total control over the citizens safety and show up in tee shirts and shorts to fire alarms in occupied buildings. They were ELECTED by their own friends to these positions. And with that comes the POWER to have total control over an entire city and break any rule they choose regarding the safety of so many lives. As well as the lack of concern for the property within their own response area.
 
  Someone needs to tell these Five Chiefs; "This is the way it is going to be". "Your duties will be clearly spelled out in writing". "Either you accept this change and send these Norwich Firefighters or you leave". "If not, we will find someone who is really concerned with the publics safety and put them in charge".
 What gives these people the right to dictate to an entire city ?
 Why are people so afraid to stand up to them ?
 There are many documented cases in which the decisions they have made are totally wrong by any standards. If nothing changes soon, I can assure you they will one day be held accountable for their actions or lack there of. Don't let these individuals drag you through the mud with them. Because I fear that could very well happen. Our Previous City Officials were all aware of this as well, yet they allowed this to continue.
 
  This marks the "Eighth Incident" since I began documenting cases starting in February, 2015. ALL of which the Norwich Fire Department SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED. But, THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO RESPOND. And being totally honest with you, these incidents are only the ones that "I" am aware of. There could very well be more.
 
  In closing, it is now up to you and I ask that you please consider the RIGHT thing to do for the benefit of ALL the citizens. The lives of our citizens, your friends, their children, are all at stake here. Most have no idea of exactly what is going on here. Unless these Fire Commanders are willing to make these changes now, "tell them to pack their bags". "Their services are NO Longer required". You as our city officials owe that to the people of this city.
 
  Now for that video. This is what can happen if a bedroom fire is not attacked in the very early stages. This could very well have been the case Saturday night August 27, 2016 at the Brief Care Building, Room 377, at the Uncas on the Thames Campus.
 
  Thank you for your concern and I will work with you in any way I can to help make our city a safer place".   End Quote
 
  www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezJ6SorlpJo

Here's an interesting point to consider.
 
For an automatic fire alarm activation within a fairly large condo complex, that Norwich Fire Dept has "NO PROBLEM" calling for TWO of the local volunteer departments as part of an Automatic Aid response. Yet, how is it that for some reason, even for a Working Fire, some local volunteer departments totally refuse to have them (Norwich Career On Duty Firefighters) respond. Even though they are manned and much closer than the outside volunteer departments who were requested to respond.
 
 The reason I mention the fire alarm at this condo complex is that it just happened. I've tried to think about this but I'm just totally lost as how one place has no problem calling for the other. Yet on the other side, it is just the opposite. No matter what is burning or what kind of help somebody needs, even being closer, "they just don't call them".
 
If there is anybody out there that can make any sense of this, "please let us know".
 
 

Approximately 120 miles northeast of New York City is an old New England City called Norwich, Ct. This city lies in close proximity to both the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casinos. Its population is about 40,000 people in roughly 26 square miles. It's neighborhoods consist of closely packed multi family dwellings to larger spread out almost rural areas.
 
 This city is protected by one police department, covered by one public works department, has one city hall and one Board of Education system. Yet it's fire department divides this city in half. Part career and the other half all volunteer. The career department covers the older, more densely populated area of about 3,5 sq miles. Within that career department there are some 60 fulltime firefighters operating out of two firehouses.
 
  In the more suburban covered by five totally separate fire districts there are five firehouses. Each of these districts has it's one fire chief and budget all of which operate with a totally volunteer force.
 
  Over the last year and a half there were five serious incidents within this all volunteer fire area. One included a fire in an occupied 2 1/2 frame building. Another included a serious haz mat incident in a food storage warehouse, another an occupied house fire in which a child received some minor burns, another was a grease fire in a Nursing Home.
 
  In ALL of these incidents, the career on duty staffed fire department with it's 12/13 firefighters and batt chief NEVER responded, despite the fact that in all of these incidents they were the closest or second closest fire dept to respond. In one of the house fires, that career firehouse was actually the closest to the fire. Just 1.8 miles away. Yet mutual aid was requested from volunteer departments over 5 miles away and one department outside of the city 8 miles. The department 5 miles away drove right by that career station as the members were training in the parking lot.
 
  In the Haz Mat incident, it involved an ammonia leak serious enough that vapors coming from the windows were first reported as "smoke showing". Yet a Haz Mat Tech Team was requested from another town 15 miles away, while a 4 person trained Haz Mat Team was stationed about 3 miles away. When the officer of the more distant Haz Mat team started to respond, he asked if the closer team was also responding. The answer was "NO" and he then requested them to respond.
 
  After several emails plus a meeting with the then acting City Manager requesting changes be made for the safety of the citizens as well as firefighters, the answer was "No Changes to be made". At that point it was time to go to the newspaper with this story. I just could not sit back and watch this type of behavior continue. 
 
  There were maybe a dozen emails sent to the local city officials, the fire chiefs, as well as the newspaper reporter which started around January of this year.
 
  Here is the story as it was just released. Of course there's much more to the story. It is my hope that the fire departments will work together for the benefit of those they protect. This is the first step and as the article says, "I will continue until positive changes have taken place". (Hope this link works).
 
  http://www.theday.com/local/20160702/norwichs-fire-service-more-fractured-than-ever-officials-say 

They "DO" look like "Clown Cars" and I know I wouldn't want to be the guy driving it. I have trouble getting out of a full size SUV, let alone this little midget.
 
BUT, maybe for practical purposes, it's use will be very good getting around tight traffic spots of Manhattan, or as those scooters were sometimes used, for the parks and maybe a few housing projects.
 
The plus side of it for the officers is that they are heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer. New York City is the Proving Ground for anything new. Whether it be the police dept or the fire dept.
 
 As I look back on the years, at least as I remember, with few exceptions, it was NYC that changed from OPEN CAB fire apparatus to ENCLOSED CAB fire apparatus. After that we all just followed. Or from three quarter boots to bunker gear.  NYC was the first place to have a designated fire company as a FAST Co, despite what others might like to take credit for. Which in the beginning was referred to as a FAT Company (Firefighter Assist Team).
 
 Whether the "Clown Cars" work for the NYPD is something that NYC will test for any other major city before they have to spend the money for themselves.
 
 All kidding aside, any police or fire chief, police officer or firefighter, that wants to learn from the most experienced department in the world, "they are very often willing to share the information they have to others who may need it. For those who live just outside the NYC area, you have a pretty good opportunity to learn from the most experienced. Just don't go in there and tell them how to do their job. I know on a few occasions, and ONLY A FEW, I had such a character with me. He ended up making a fool of himself and it just didn't go over too well. 
 
 In this case, if your a Police Chief, let NYC do the work for you. If your department might have an interest in anything like this, give them a year trial and see how they work out. I know before the fire dept made any commitment on bunker gear, that's just what they did. A trail period of one year in some busy companies before they made the final decision to buy about 10,000 sets of bunker gear.

They "DO" look like "Clown Cars" and I know I wouldn't want to be the guy driving it. I have trouble getting out of a full size SUV, let alone this little midget.
 
BUT, maybe for practical purposes, it's use will be very good getting around tight traffic spots of Manhattan, or as those scooters were sometimes used, for the parks and maybe a few housing projects.
 
The plus side of it for the officers is that they are heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer. New York City is the Proving Ground for anything new. Whether it be the police dept or the fire dept.
 
 As I look back on the years, at least as I remember, with few exceptions, it was NYC that changed from OPEN CAB fire apparatus to ENCLOSED CAB fire apparatus. After that we all just followed. Or from three quarter boots to bunker gear.  NYC was the first place to have a designated fire company as a FAST Co, despite what others might like to take credit for. Which in the beginning was referred to as a FAT Company (Firefighter Assist Team).
 
 Whether the "Clown Cars" work for the NYPD is something that NYC will test for any other major city before they have to spend the money for themselves.
 
 All kidding aside, any police or fire chief, police officer or firefighter, that wants to learn from the most experienced department in the world, "they are very often willing to share the information they have to others who may need it. For those who live just outside the NYC area, you have a pretty good opportunity to learn from the most experienced. Just don't go in there and tell them how to do their job. I know on a few occasions, and ONLY A FEW, I had such a character with me. He ended up making a fool of himself and it just didn't go over too well. 
 
 In this case, if your a Police Chief, let NYC do the work for you. If your department might have an interest in anything like this, give them a year trial and see how they work out. I know before the fire dept made any commitment on bunker gear, that's just what they did. A trail period of one year in some busy companies before they made the final decision to buy about 10,000 sets of bunker gear.

I can't put a number to it and it's not always the doctor themselves saying it, but in my experience it is a very, very, very common thing for a person to call their doctor and be told to go to the ER and oftentimes that includes calling 911 for an ambulance to take them.
 
 

"The truth is, the public is completely responsible for the high number of calls that the fire department responds to. "
 
The real truth is not just in the public.  Yes, the public is becoming more reliant on 911 services to assist them to see a doctor, but another statement from the article shows the other side of the story, too:
 
"Her doctor told her to call 911 for a ride to the emergency room; he didn’t have any appointments until later in the week. "
 
Is this really what doctors are advising their patients to do?  I understand in some extreme occasions where someone is extremely sick, such as a 60 y/o female with bronchitis, where 911 service is possibly necessary, But, how many doctors are telling their patients to just call 911?  And, before I get ostracized for this question, I am completely aware of the medical services shortage when it comes to doctors and nurses (my girlfriend is a RN and she is called into work on almost every day she has off).
 
"When 911 is called for rides to the emergency room, resources are squandered, urgent care for those who truly need it is delayed, and myths about firefighters padding their numbers responding to little old ladies who just need a ride to the ER are born. "
 
Let's break this down into two parts.  The first, which is already evident to us, is the squandering of resources.  If doctors and nurses are already short-handed, what would make any medical professional think that there are enough ambulances to assist with day to day medical issues?  Doctors know that 911 EMS services are also short-handed, so why would they compromise the 911 services in the same way that their own practices are compromised?  Calling 911 for a non life-threatening issue seems to be the way of the game these days, and it's getting a little out of hand.  Then again, I'm sure the insurance companies love it!
 
The other part from the above quote is the padding of numbers.  Why would there ever be a myth that FDs "pad" response numbers?  I thought we had the common goal as EMS and the Police to save lives?  Or am I wrong on some weird political agenda?  I'm glad the writer (Michael Morse) mentions that sometimes an EMS trained engine is more than often closer than an ambulance, and that interventions can begin well before a transport is available.  This comes hardy as we are in a time, as stated above, 911 ambulances can be scarce and we need responders on scene "applying band-aids" to the problem to secure the best chances for survival.
 
*sigh* I'm more than sure I could keep ranting on about this, but I'll leave it at here for now.

 
Great insight.  I was talking to two Con Ed guys today and they echo your sentiment that the last thing the FD should be doing is turning valves in the street.  They may inadvertently turn off a transmission main instead of the distribution main supplying the house in question and that could impact THOUSANDS depending on where it is.  They also said that they've been finding valve boxes completely paved over, not just hidden by errant water valve boxes. 

Just like we shouldn't climb poles to disconnect power lines, we shouldn't be messing with gas infrastructure.  The results could be costly both in time and money and public safety.
 
In my 35 years I never had a complaint with the response time of Con Ed responders, especially gas crews.
 

Looking for Ahmad Rahami in a Blue Honda Civic with NJ plates D63EYB.
 
Also Linden, NJ shooter in custody and found a suspicious package. Requesting Bomb Sq and K-9
 
 Update: Ahmad Rahami is in custody in Linden, NJ after shooting police officer

Looking for Ahmad Rahami in a Blue Honda Civic with NJ plates D63EYB.
 
Also Linden, NJ shooter in custody and found a suspicious package. Requesting Bomb Sq and K-9
 
 Update: Ahmad Rahami is in custody in Linden, NJ after shooting police officer

A few guys telling me the NYPD has the suspect(s) in custody for the bombing. Perp(s) apprehended in the area of Belt Pkwy and VZ Bridge.
 
As many as Five in custody.
 
If that's true, great job by those in blue. 

A few guys telling me the NYPD has the suspect(s) in custody for the bombing. Perp(s) apprehended in the area of Belt Pkwy and VZ Bridge.
 
As many as Five in custody.
 
If that's true, great job by those in blue. 

A few guys telling me the NYPD has the suspect(s) in custody for the bombing. Perp(s) apprehended in the area of Belt Pkwy and VZ Bridge.
 
As many as Five in custody.
 
If that's true, great job by those in blue. 

 
 Not too much I can argue about that one.
 
 And oh yes, in our Blast from the Past, the news media DID report it to first be a "transformer explosion" when that bomb went off in the lower level of the parking garage at the WTC in 1993. Only to find out later that they gave us the wrong scoop.
 
The other incidents you bring up as well. Just a little criminal mischief with nothing else behind it, I suppose.
 
 Excellent points brought up.
 
 

Excellent point Pete. Whether we must deal with Terrorism, mass shootings, or even just the everyday crime, trying to be PC is NOT the answer. Burying our heads in the sand and hoping our problems go away doesn't work. I think 23 people injured in this incident. That's 23 more than should have been hurt.
 
 We have allowed our civic leaders to destroy our own safety by allowing those out to hurt us the ability to hurt more.
 
 In the first World Trade center bombing of 1993, over 1,000 people were injured and I believe six people were killed. That was a bomb placed in a car in the below sub level parking garage of one of those WTC Tower Buildings. It was so powerful that it blew through FIVE levels of solid concrete in that garage. Our Leader then (President Clinton - the same one that lied about cheating on his wife on national television), had every opportunity to get Bin Laden then. But he didn't and instead the terrorist got stronger.
 
 Then in September, 2001, just eight years later, our country is attacked again. This time it is the Worst Attack ever on American soil. Bin Laden takes credit for accomplishing this. Perhaps this could have all been prevented had our leader then taken the proper steps to deal with it.
 
 So with this most recent event occurring in NYC, where do we go from here ? History does have a way of repeating itself. Will the mayor of NYC treat this as the former U.S. President treated the first WTC bombing ? I hope not and I hope he has learned not to repeat the mistakes of others.
 
 I don't have the answer on what to do or how to handle it. But that's not my job, "that's theirs" !!!

 
 Not too much I can argue about that one.
 
 And oh yes, in our Blast from the Past, the news media DID report it to first be a "transformer explosion" when that bomb went off in the lower level of the parking garage at the WTC in 1993. Only to find out later that they gave us the wrong scoop.
 
The other incidents you bring up as well. Just a little criminal mischief with nothing else behind it, I suppose.
 
 Excellent points brought up.
 
 

So yesterday I was in NYC for the Steuben Day Parade, I got home around 7. By 9 I was hearing news of the explosion. I had already heard about the bombing in NJ earlier in the day. I spoke with a friend who is an EMS Chief in NJ. He told me they were all notified to be on alert. Then reports of an explosion at a mall in Virginia started coming in, followed by reports of an active shooter at a mall in Minnesota. Fairly quickly they determined the one in Virginia to be a transformer explosion (wasn't that the initial dispatch in 1993?). This morning I got up and started hearing the news media fall all over themselves to remind us who was not at fault. In Minnesota it turned out to be a mass stabbing (if only we had some common sense knife control) by someone asking victims if they were muslim and stabbing those that said no, all the while speaking of allah. The local police there say they have no idea what his motivation was. The news media says this was not terrorism. We will hear no more about guns, because it turns out that the attack was stopped by a good guy (off duty cop) with a gun.
 
We have to get out of this national state of denial we are in. The media, politicians and even the investigators are refusing to even look at the most obvious possibility because it might offend someone. Well here is an idea, if you want to kill me and destroy my country, then I do not care one bit if you are offended.

Excellent point Pete. Whether we must deal with Terrorism, mass shootings, or even just the everyday crime, trying to be PC is NOT the answer. Burying our heads in the sand and hoping our problems go away doesn't work. I think 23 people injured in this incident. That's 23 more than should have been hurt.
 
 We have allowed our civic leaders to destroy our own safety by allowing those out to hurt us the ability to hurt more.
 
 In the first World Trade center bombing of 1993, over 1,000 people were injured and I believe six people were killed. That was a bomb placed in a car in the below sub level parking garage of one of those WTC Tower Buildings. It was so powerful that it blew through FIVE levels of solid concrete in that garage. Our Leader then (President Clinton - the same one that lied about cheating on his wife on national television), had every opportunity to get Bin Laden then. But he didn't and instead the terrorist got stronger.
 
 Then in September, 2001, just eight years later, our country is attacked again. This time it is the Worst Attack ever on American soil. Bin Laden takes credit for accomplishing this. Perhaps this could have all been prevented had our leader then taken the proper steps to deal with it.
 
 So with this most recent event occurring in NYC, where do we go from here ? History does have a way of repeating itself. Will the mayor of NYC treat this as the former U.S. President treated the first WTC bombing ? I hope not and I hope he has learned not to repeat the mistakes of others.
 
 I don't have the answer on what to do or how to handle it. But that's not my job, "that's theirs" !!!

Listening to DeBlasio I can only shake my head, what a dope. "Intentional" uh duh ya think!! The very nature of a bombing (or mass shooting) is to instill fear...no not just fear but terror...in people. To make them afraid to go outside, to gather in peace, to go to work, in fact to simply live their lives normally. Ignoring the obvious does not make people safer, it makes them ignorant of what's going on around them. Well I got news for ya Mr. Mayor this was an act of TERRORISM no matter who did it. Time to can the PC bullsh!t and start calling these attacks what they are...TERRORISM. We, as a nation, have got to face up to the reality of the world we live in today otherwise we aren't going to be prepared for the next attack...and make no mistake, as we sit here typing away, that next attack is being plotted by someone somewhere right now. 

So who is Hartsdale? Is it the volunteer members (6 is it?) or the FD as a whole which includes taxpayer funded career personnel? Or is it the community leaders, or the taxpayer themselves? 
 
What is sad is the failure to recognize that FD's or any organization that takes money that is either or tax or portion of another payment should be 100% accounted for and used in an appropriate manner. FD's provide a service to the community, thus they serve the community, not themselves as it appears in so many cases.  
 
This is the kind of stuff that drives a huge wedge between career and volunteer firefighters. This makes us all look bad, when it's thankfully a handful of the total US Fire Service. No wonder people question why providing fire services is so expensive, they see how much money is spent frivolously by some and think we all do it.

With regard to 2% money there are absolutely guidelines on how the money can be spent.  In fact, there is even a difference between how "new" and "old" 2% money can be spent.

 
Absolutely not true.  They may have far more latitude than with tax dollars but they are accountable to the taxpayer on their expenditures.
 

that's actually false. there are laws that specifically outline how 2% and fundraising money can be spent. 

As we so often here, "9/11 Never Forget". Here are two 9/11 first responders, both suffering from 9/11 linked cancer, who work towards making sure that does not happen.
 
http://pix11.com/2016/09/10/two-ailing-first-responders-continue-teaching-children-about-911/ 

I had been working the day shift at fire headquarters in Norwich, Ct. As the events played out, off duty guys were calling in asking if they should go down to NYC. The Chief of Department came out and said, "if we get called to go, we will go down as a group, not individually". Norwich, Ct is about 130 miles from that WTC site. The chief did say that it is possible many of the on duty shift would be held over into the night shift. That entire night shift was held over as nobody really knew what was next. I think the biggest concern for us was the fact that two nearby casinos were a possibility of being a target.
 
 Later that afternoon everyone was advised NOT to go down to NYC. There was already enough people and fire companies coming in from outside the city. As I remember both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium were used as staging areas for companies coming in from Westchester County and Long Island. However, a list was made up of our guys willing to relocate into the cities of New Haven, Bridgeport, Norwalk or Stamford, as those guys would be much closer to relocate to New York City firehouses. I remember about half the guys signed up and we were willing to bring supplies with us for about a two week stay. The group would be divided in half known as "A" Group and "B" Group, taking turns to relocate. A reserve engine and ladder would be used. The other half of the guys were told, they would required to cover our empty positions while gone. This was fully understood by ALL of the members of the department.
 
 I think it really hit me when one of the first names I had heard was Chief Ray Downey as one of those 9/11 LODDs identified about 8 pm. Chief Downey was a Role Model to me. I used to attend many of the classes put on as a fund raiser for the NYC Burn Unit. Those classes were held about once every three months at the FDNY Fire Academy. The guest speakers got no money for this and they would very often then bring the classes to the Fire Expo etc. Chief Ray Downey, as well as the very well respected, Lt Andy Fredricks, who we also lost, were very often a part of that program.
 
 Everything basically shut down. In fact, late that afternoon, even the casinos shut down, where my wife worked the 3 - 11 pm shift.
 
 My brother was a battalion chief in Bridgeport. When he walked into the firehouse the next day, he was to report to the Chiefs Office. There he was also told to get a list of guys from the shift willing to go down to NYC. They were also told it would be for a period of one or two weeks. I also believe during the initial stages the Metro North Railroad was offering free rides to firefighters who were going into NYC. And the Bridgeport Firefighters were part of the group that went down there through the department.
 
 It was the first time in the FDNY history that there was such a huge response from outside the city put into effect. This had never happened before. I believe after the event was finally over, the FDNY came out with a full report on the entire operation. There were lessoned learned that today they would do different.
 
 Also some changes would take place in the D.C. area after the huge operation that was organized to deal with a large commercial airliner crashing into places like the Pentagon.
 
 Not only did some operations change for the FDNY, and DC area departments, BUT "THE ENTIRE WORLD CHANGED AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. Security is now a key issue for the safety of many people who work within Federal areas, as well as those who travel within our airlines. Even major events such as the New Years Eve celebration in NYC, as well as other cities, have taken major steps in trying to secure the publics safety.