FILE NO 9110173 WORLD TRADE CENTER TASK FORCE INTERVIEW EMT VERONICA JACOBS INTERVIEW DATE OCTOBER 30 2001 TRANSCRIBED BY ELISABETH NASON
MR ECCLESTON TODAYS DATE IS OCTOBER 30 2001 THE TIME IS 2155 HOURS IM CHRISTOPHER ECCIESTON OF THE NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT WORLD TRADE CENTER TASK FORCE IM CONDUCTING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUAL PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME TITLE AND ASSIGNED COMMAND AREA REGARDING SEPTEMBER 11 2001 MY NAME IS VERONICA JACOBS BATTALION 58 IM AN EMT ALSO PRESENT AT THIS INTERVIEW IS CHRISTINE BASTEDENBECK OF THE NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT WORLD TRADE CENTER TASK FORCE VERONICA WERE YOU WORKING ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 11 2001 YES DISASTER YCRNI ASSIGNED TUM IH WC TRADE YES CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME IN YOUR OWN WORDS ABOUT THE EVENTS OF THAT DAY WELL WHEN GOT HOME FROM WALKING THE CIRCLE WITH MY SON AND MY NEIGHBOR TOLD ME THAT PLANE CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER SO WENT INSIDE TO WATCH TV TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED AND CALLED MY
BATTALION TO SEE IF THEY NEEDED TO ME TO COME IN SPOKE TO LIEUTENANT HOOVER WHO TOLD ME YES COME INTO THE BATTALION AND WORK OVERTIME SO ANYWAY TOOK SHOWER GOT DRESSED AND JUMPED IN MY CAR AND PROCEEDED TO COME FROM NEW JERSEY TO BROOKLYN WHEN GOT TO THE GOETHALS BRIDGE THERE WAS CHECKPOINT WITH STATE TROOPERS AND POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE CHECKING VEHICLES AND STOPPING EVERYBODY AND CHECKING ID TOLD THEM THAT NEEDED TO PROCEED OVER TO BROOKLYN TO WORK OVERTIME FOR THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND THEY TOLD ME YOU ARE EITHER GOING TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER STRAIGHT FROM HERE OR YOU GO HOME SO TOLD THEM TO LEAD THE WAY GOT POLICE ESCORT FROM THE GOETHALS BRIDGE TO BEEKMAN HOSPITAL AND PARKED ON THE SIDEWALK AND IH PARKED TUM CM IH SIR AND WE WALKED WITH MY THUMB OUT TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AT LEAST TOWARDS THE BLACKNESS THE DARKNESS WE COULDNT SEE ANYTHING THERE WAS SO MUCH DEBRIS AND DUST EVERYWHERE WE WENT INSIDE BEEKMAN FIRST AND GOT COUPLE OF MAPS TRIED TO CALL THE BATTALION AND TELL THEM WAS IN MANHATTAN INSTEAD OF COMING TO BROOKLYN BUT THE PHONE WAS BUSY SO PROCEEDED WITH THEM TO TRY
AND FIND THE EMS COMMAND WHEREVER THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BECAUSE WE COULDNT SEE STREET SIGNS WHEN WE GOT GUESS ABOUT TWO BLOCKS FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER COULDNT TELL YOU WHAT STREET WE WERE ON DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT TIME THIS WAS IT WAS ABOUT 905 905 YES THERE WERE PEOPLE RUNNING TOWARDS US AND TELLING US THEY NEEDED HELP DOWN THAT WAY AND POINTING BEHIND THEM SO WE PROCEEDED TO GO DOWN THAT WAY HOPING THERE WAS EMS OR SOMEBODY THERE WHEN FINALLY REALIZED WHERE WAS WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING THAT DIDNT COME DOWN YET THE TOWER THAT DIDNT COME DOWN YET NOT EVEN KNC 1HA1 IH FIRSI RAMS DC DIDNT KNC WHAT IT WAS THAT THEY WERE RUNNING FROM LOOK UP AND IM LIKE THIS LOOKS LIKE THE WORLD TRADE CENTER THINK WE SHOULD JUST BACK UP AND START LOOKING FOR MY COMMAND AND THE TROOPER WAS LIKE OKAY LETS START WALKING ALL OF SUDDEN LARGE RUMBLING AND PEOPLE WERE RUNNING AND JUMPING AND HITTING THE FLOOR NEXT TO ME AND IT JUST GOT BLACK AND GRAY AND COULDNT SEE AND WAS RUNNING FOR MY LIFE
WITH MY HANDS IN FRONT OF ME HECAUSE DIDNT KNOW WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENING WE TRIPPED AND WE FELL AND LOST THE TROOPERS AND DONT KNOW WHERE THEY WENT BUT THEY ARE ALIVE ENDED UP FINDING OUT BECAUSE THEIR CAR WAS GONE WHEN GOT BACK SO ASSUME THEY ARE ALIVE THEIR CAR IS GONE SO SOMEBODY GOT IT WHEN FINALLY GOT OUT OF THE DUST TRIPPING SEVERAL TIMES AND CRASHING INTO TELEPHONE POLES AS WAS RUNNING BECAUSE COULDNT SEE IT CLEARED UP ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER BUT AS IM RUNNING IM TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO NEEDED HELP TO RUN OR TO WALK OR JUST TO BREATHE TRYING TO COVER THEM WITH MY SHIRT OR WHATEVER COULD DO BECAUSE HAD TWO MASKS ON MY FACE FROM THE HOSPITAL WHEN WHAI HAPP WALKED AROUND GUESS VESEY STREET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT WAS THE ONLY STREET SIGN THAT WE COULD SEE DONT KNOW HOW FAR THAT WAS FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER STILL TO THIS DAY BUT WE WALKED AROUND THE CORNER AND COULD SEE THE FIRST BUILDING THAT FELL AND THEY WERE TELLING ME THIS IS THE BUILDING THAT FELL COUPLE OF FIREFIGHTERS AND THEY SAID HOW THEY LOST THEIR PEOPLE IN THE FIRST BUILDING AND WAS LIKE WELL
WHAT DID WE JUST RUN FROM GUESS WE WENT ALMOST BACK TO BEEKMAN HALFWAY BACK TO BEEKMAN AND WE MET UP WITH SOME FIREFIGHTERS THERE IM SAYING WE IT WAS ME AND COUPLE OF FIREMEN THAT MADE IT OUT GUESS THEY SAID THE SECOND BUILDING CAME DOWN WAS LIKE OH MY GOD JUST SAW PEOPLE STANDING IN THE LOBBY FIRE ENGINES EVERYBODY WAS PULLING UP STILL AND SAW BUNCH OF FIREFIGHTERS GOING IN AND AM LIKE WELL WHY ARE THEY GOING IN WHY WOULD THEY BE GOING IN THERE YOU KNOW ITS JUST NOT SAFE YOU KNOW CANT THEY FIGHT THE FIRE FROM ABOVE WHEN GOT THERE AND BOOM IT STARTED FALLING AND WAS LIKE KNOW THEY DIDNT COME OUT YOU KNOW ANYWAY START WALKING AROUND TRYING TO FIND ANYBODY THAT LOOKED EJ FAMILIAR BECAUSE YOU COULDNT TELL WHC WAS WHR WAS FULL SR AND DIISI AS IM TRYING TO FIND THE EMS COMMAND OR WHOEVER COULD FIND WE WERE SAVING PEOPLE PULLING PEOPLE FROM RUBBLE AND THERE WERE PRIVATE AMBULANCES EVERYWHERE THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES UP FRONT SO AS WE ARE PULLING PEOPLE OUT OF THE RUBBLE OR WALKING PAST WE ARE JUST THROWING THEM INTO AMBULANCES ON THE FLOOR OF THE AMBULANCES TWO PEOPLE ON THE STRETCHERS ANYWHERE WE COULD
WE PULLED OUT THIS OBESE MAN HE HAD TO BE LIKE FOUR OR FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS AND THATS THE ONLY THING THAT SAVED HIS LIFE THEY PULLED BEAM OFF OF HIM IT TOOK 20 FIREFIGHTERS TO PULL THIS BEAM OFF OF THIS GUY WE THREW HIM ON THE STRETCHER AND WE HAD TO CARRY THE STRETCHER EVERYWHERE BECAUSE THE DEBRIS WAS SO MUCH YOU KNOW IT WAS JUST HORRIBLE AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF SAVING PEOPLE AND PULLING PEOPLE FROM THE DEBRIS AND STILL WALKING EVERY TIME TRIED TO LEAVE TO FIND EMS THEY NEEDED MORE HELP SO COULDNT JUST LEAVE YOU KNOW WHAT MEAN JUST KEPT DOING WHAT WAS DOING GUESS IT WAS ABOUT HOURS LATER MAYBE ABOUT ONE OCLOCK FINALLY WALKED BACK AND THEY TOLD ME SEVERAL BLOCKS BACK THERE ARE SOME EMS PEOPLE MAYBE IH AR YCRNIR BC 1HA1 YCRNI AR LC FC THESE ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE NOW LIKE MET OF COURSE SEVERAL FIREFIGHTERS AND OKAY IM SPAZ SINCE THEN TOO HEAR NOISE YOU KNOW HOLY SHIT WELL ANYWAY ENDED UP THERE WERE FIRE ENGINES SET UP WITH THOSE SPOUTS OF WATER LITTLE EYE WASH SPOUTS OF WATER OFF THE SIDE OF THE TRUCKS AND IM WASHING MY FACE AND MY EYES ARE BURNING AND CANT
BREATHE GOOD AND IM FULL OF SOOT SOME FIREFIGHTER BLEW ME OFF WITH COMPRESSOR SO THAT COULD ACTUALLY SEE AND WASH MY FACE FINALLY RAN INTO SOME ACADEMY PEOPLE IT WAS GIO PINEDA YES PINEDA ROLANDO PARAMEDIC EMS ROLANDO HIM AND IT WAS ALL PARAMEDICS THERE WERE ABOUT OF THEM ROLANDO GARDON HE WAS THE INSTRUCTOR DONT REMEMBER HIS LAST NAME WELL HE WAS PARAMEDIC INSTRUCTOR BIG ASIAN GUY YES WITH GLASSES HE LOOKS HAWAIIAN YES SO ANYWAY RAN INTO THEM AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPP THEY AR LIKE CLAY JIISI HANG CMIII DCM YOU NEED ANY HELP IM LIKE JUST REALLY NEED TO SIT DOWN AND GET SOME WATER THEY GOT ME WATER AND WE WERE JUST WAITING IM LIKE YOU GUYS GOT TO GO IN YOU KNOW THERES PEOPLE IN THERE THAT NEED HELP AND YOU ARE JUST STANDING HERE AND THERE IS PRIVATE AMBULANCES IN THERE THAT JUST CANT HANDLE IT THEY DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO THERE IS NO SUPERVISION EVERYBODY WAS KILLED THAT WAS
SUPERVISING OR AT LEAST KNEW WHAT TO DO YOU NEED TO GO IN THERE THEY ARE LIKE WE CANT GO IN THERE THEY WERE JUST STANDING THERE YOU HAVE TO STAY RIGHT HERE WHAT IM LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN GO COUPLE OF BLOCKS IN THEY NEED HELP THEY NEED AMBULANCES IM TELLING YOU THERE IS PEOPLE LAID OUT IN THE STREET THAT NEED TO GET THE HELL OFF AND THEY CANT MOVE THEIR LEGS ARE BROKEN THEIR ARMS ARE BROKEN THEY CANT MOVE THEY ARE TRAPPED THEY ARE PINNED AND THESE PEOPLE WILL BE SALVAGEABLE LETS GO OH WE CANT DO THAT IM LIKE OKAY SO IM GOING BACK IF YOU DONT WANT TO WILL JUST GIVE ME SOME SHIT GIVE ME SOME OXYGEN AND SOME EQUIPMENT WILL GO BACK IN DONT CARE YOU KNOW THEY WERE LIKE YOU CANT DO THAT YOU HAVE TO STAY HERE OR YOU AR GC TUM DIIIY IM LIKE DUTY JUST FUCKING WORKED HOURS BY MY GOD DAMN SELF IF YOU RELIEVE ME NOW DONT GIVE SHIT YOU KNOW WHAT MEAN WILL GO BACK IN ON MY OWN DONT CARE WORKED WITHOUT ANY EQUIPMENT HAD NO EQUIPMENT ON ME NO HELMET NO NOTHING CAME FROM HOME TO COME HERE AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR AND HALF OF SITTING THERE LIKE ASSHOLES WE FINALLY GOT THE WORD THAT WE
10 COULD GO UP CLOSER WHICH IS GROUND ZERO NOW AND THE TRIAGE AREA SET THAT TRIAGE AREA UP WE HAD THE MORGUE INSIDE THE BUILDING SET ALL THAT UP THE FIRST DAY THEY ARE STILL UTILIZING IT TODAY IT WAS JUST WILD YOU KNOW IT WAS JUST WILD ALL THE BODIES AND PEOPLE IT WAS REALLY MEAN DO WANT TO ADD ANYTHING PROBABLY NOT BUT COULD CHAT FOR DAYS ABOUT THIS SHIT IT WAS SO DISORGANIZED AND THERE WAS NO HELP YOU KNOW WAS THERE UNTIL ONE OCLOCK UNTIL THE MORNING WITH NOT SIGN OF RELIEF IN SIGHT COME BACK HERE FINALLY LEFT ON MY OWN TOLD THEM LOOK CANT STAY HERE ANY MORE NEED TO LEAVE WORKED 10 TO THE NIGHT BEFORE WENT HOME WALKED MY SON TOOK SHOWER CAME BACK AND WC ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHI AGAIN 11 WAS RRLC IN THE MORNING COULDNT WORK ANY MORE YOU KNOW WAS ON THE MY FEET THE WHOLE TIME MY HEEL IS KILLING ME SINCE THEN DONT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HEEL BUT FINALLY LEFT AND THEY WOULDNT EVEN GIVE ME RIDE TO BEEKMAN HOSPITAL HAD TO WALK FROM GROUND ZERO TO BEEKMAN HOSPITAL TO MY CAR AND DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO WHERE TO GO WHO TO SEE YOU KNOW IM ASKING ALL
11 THESE CAPTAIN AND CHIEFS WHO ARE STANDING THERE HOT SHIT TRYING TO LOOK CUTE HOW DO GET BACK TO BEEKMAN HOSPITAL CAN YOU GET ME GATOR OR ANYTHING DONT CARE WHAT CRANE ANYTHING JUST BRING ME TO BEEKMAN IM EXHAUSTED NO YOU HAVE TO FIND YOUR WAY IM LIKE OKAY SO WALKED ALL THE WAY BACK TO BEEKMAN AND GOT IN MY CAR AND HAD TO DUST IT OFF BECAUSE THERE IS LIKE FOOT OF DEBRIS ON IT CAME BACK HERE BECAUSE COULDNT GO HOME LIKE THAT WAS SO FILTHY AND DISGUSTING HAD TO SHOWER BEFORE WENT HOME IN CASE WAS EXPOSED TO SOMETHING GOT BACK HERE AND EVERYBODY WAS SITTING HERE 50 PEOPLE IN THERE IM LIKE WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL SITTING IN THERE FOR OH WELL WE ARE WAITING TUM GR TUM RC IM LIKE WHAI WHAI AR YCRNI WAITING FOR WELL THERE IS BUS OUTSIDE ITS EMPTY CITY BUS SITTING OUTSIDE EMPTY WAITING TO LEAVE WITH PEOPLE WITH THEIR EQUIPMENT AND THEY ARE ON OVERTIME SITTING HERE WATCHING FUCKING TV WHEN JUST WORKED DAMN NEAR 24 HOURS STRAIGHT AND IM SO TIRED AND SO SICK AND SO EXHAUSTED AND THERE IS MORE PEOPLE THAT NEED HELP WITH NO RELIEF IN THERE AND THEY ARE SITTING HERE
12 SO ASKED THE BOSS DO YOU KNOW WHATS GOING ON WHY ARENT THEY GOING YOU KNOW OH WELL WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WHAT AGAIN STUPIDITY WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WHAT ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO THERE JUST SIT THERE AND JUST KEEP WORKING WITHOUT RELIEF AND THEY ARE LIKE WELL THATS WHAT WE WERE TOLD THEY ARE PISSED OFF AND THEY ARE ALL ASKING ME WHAT HAPPENED AND MY SIDE AND IM LIKE YOU KNOW NEED SOME FOOD SO JOE MICHEL WENT TO MCDONALDS AND GOT ME COUPLE OF BIG MACS PUT MY FEET UP AND GOT MASSAGE ATE BIG MAC AND TOLD EVERYBODY HOW IT WAS THERE AND THEY WERE LIKE WOW THINK WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT WENT MAYBE GREENBERG WENT LATER KNOW HE WASNT THERE IN THE BEGINNING DIDN1 HIM A1 ALL IH AND SAW EMT AND EMS PERSON THAT WAS THERE THAT DAY DIDNT SEE HIM WHERE THE HELL HE COULD HAVE BEEN DONT KNOW YOU KNOW THAT WAS FUCKING EXPERIENCE FUCKING HOPE THEY LIKE MY LANGUAGE IT WAS DEFINITELY AN EXPERIENCE SO TO THIS DAY IM SPAZ HEAR NOISE IM LIKE OKAY WHERE IS IT COMING FROM YOU KNOW THERE WAS THUNDER WILL NEVER FORGET WAS HOME
13 GUESS THE WEEK AFTER THAT AND THUNDER THERE WAS THIS HORRIBLE STORM THAT CAME THROUGH AND IM AT HOME AND IM FINALLY IN MY BED AND IM LIKE OKAY CANT SLEEP EVERYBODY IS KNOCKED OUT AND ALL OF SUDDEN THIS BIG KABOOM WAS IN MY BEDROOM AND HAVE RANCH LONG RANCH MY ROOM IS HERE MY DAUGHTERS IS HERE AND MY SONS IS HERE AND MY SON WAS SLEEPING WITH MY DAUGHTER THAT NIGHT GOT OUT OF THE BED THAT BOOM RAN AND SCOOPED THE TWO KIDS UP AND JUMPED ON TOP OF THEM THEY ARE LIKE AH WHATS THE MATTER IM LIKE WHAT WAS THAT MY HUSBAND IS LIKE HOLY SHIT YOU NEED TO SEE SOMEBODY ABOUT THAT IM LIKE IM OKAY IF THEY ARE OKAY IM OKAY IM LIKE SPAZ YOU KNOW JUST SCOOPED THEM UP AND IM LAYING ON THEM THEY ARE RRYING WHAI WHAI MY DAIIGHT IS LIKE MY SCM IS LIKE OH IM LIKE SHH SHH SHH SHH IT WAS HORRIBLE AND STILL DO THAT YOU KNOW THEY ARE DEMOLISHING BUILDINGS OVER BY WHERE LIVE TO BUILD NEW MALL IM LIKE WHAT WAS THAT YOU KNOW LIKE COMMANDO ON THE FLOOR COME ON BABY LETS GO YOU KNOW ITS WILD
14 WHO DONT EVEN KNOW WE THOUGHT IT WAS INAUDIBLE AT WORK YOU MEAN YES AT WORK INAUDIBLE DONT KNOW DONT KNOW ITS JUST WEIRD YOU KNOW BUT DONT REALLY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY GUESS IM DONE DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THIS INTERVIEW NO MR ECCLESTON THIS INTERVIEW IS BEING RNNRLIID A1 221FL HC