1993 World Trade Center Bombing: At the Bottom of the Crater
Kevin Shea's recounting of his rescue in the 1993 terrorist bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City.
FE Volume 146 Issue 12
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The Rescue of Firefighter Kevin Shea
In this archive piece, read about one of the dramatic moments during the 1993 response to the bombing of the World Trade Center.
THE THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA
The thermal imaging camera was developed in the 1980s by engineers from Great Britain. The system is based on a concept called the “pyroelectric effect.” In simpler terms, this means die camera can pick up minute variations in the electrical polarization of an object resulting from the difference in temperature between it and die objects around it.
EMS Response to the Explosion
The detonation of the terrorists’ bomb under the World Trade Center (WTC) complex on February 26, 1993, created the largest technological disaster New York City had ever experienced. The bombing also initiated the most significant emergency medical service (EMS) response in the city’s history.
More FE Volume 146 Issue 12
Operations in Tower 1
I was at FDNY Headquarters in the borough of Brooklyn when the World Trade Center (WTC) explosion occurred. I was notified of a second alarm at the WTC and that there had been some type of explosion. Usually, a report of an explosion in a high-rise indicates an electrical problem such as a large short or a transformer explosion.
Response By Manhattan Dispatchers
On the day the World Trade Center (WTC) was bombed, the Manhattan Dispatchers Office was involved in its usual routine of transmitting numerous fire alarms. There are more than 1,000 high-rise buildings on the island of Manhattan, and alarms are received from a number of them on a daily basis.
Evacuating People with Disabilities
In the confusion and alarm of a terrorist bombing, how does a deaf person interpret emergency instructions? How does a 250-lb. man with quadriplegia whose wheelchair weighs 100 pounds get down the stairs? How do people with such medical conditions as asthma,
The World Trade Center Complex
The World Trade Center (WTC) complex was designed by Minoru Yamasaki and Associates of Troy, Michigan, and Finery Roth and Sons of New York. Site excavation began in August 1966, and construction of the towers started two years later. The first tenant moved into Tower 1 in December 1970,
Operations in Tower 2
At 1218 hours on February 26, 1993, the occupants of the World Trade Center (WTC) Tower 2 knew immediately, from the concussion of the explosion, “that something had happened.” Moments after the building shook, a light to moderate smoke condition began to develop on all floors,
“Above-Grade Tactics and Procedures for Search, Rescue, and Evacuation”
Since the elevator service in the WTC was knocked out of commission almost immediately, the stairways became the main means of egress for anyone trapped in the complex. At this point, firefighters’ primary concern was for the safe evacuation of all civilians from the towers.
Protecting Buildings Against Terrorism
Although the probability of a terrorist attack is low, the cost of such an attack can be extremely high, as the incident at the World Trade Center (WTC) shows. In that case, the tally included lost rent for an extended period, relocation costs for tenants,
Search Tactics and Procedures Below Grade
As the fire was being controlled and the extent of the explosion became clear. Rescue Co. 3. FDNY s primary building collapse unit, was assigned to search the massive destruction caused by the bombing. A tremendous amount of crushing debris had been caused by both the explosion
