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We reached out to FEMA staff across the country to collect the stories and first-hand experiences of those who served on 9/11.

About About Us History of FEMA How FEMA Works Offices & Leadership Regions, States & Territories Tribal Affairs How to Pay FEMA Contact Us Your Civil Rights Newsroom Reports & Data FEMA in Action We Remember: 9/11 English Español Videos & Quotes Response Snapshot Blogs Please note: These videos contain news images and personal stories of September 11th. Some viewers may find the content disturbing. We remember the sorrow of September 11, 2001 and also the dedication, commitment and strength of those who responded to the tragic events. Read stories and first-hand experiences from FEMA staff who served on that day. Our Stories in Videos & Quotes Browse below for videos, quotes and blogs. You can also view all videos on FEMA's YouTube playlist or jump to all September 11 blogs. Berl Jones, former Executive Administrator Mt. Weather A volunteer firefighter at the time, Berl was assigned to the Pentagon to fight the fire on September 12. Blog FEMA Public Affairs Specialist Paul Luke captured this image of rescue workers carrying a casket covered in an American flag out of the debris after the 9/11 attacks. Read Paul's story about how 9/11 changed the way FEMA documents disasters. (Video) Tom Von Essen, Fire Department of New York Commissioner and former FEMA Region 2 Administrator On 9/11, Tom served as the fire commissioner for New York City. He was one of the first people on the scene at the World Trade Center. (Video) Patrick Cornbill - former Federal Coordinating Officer for FEMA Patrick, a native New Yorker, responded as part of FEMA’s community relations following 911. "I was one of many volunteers at an impromptu call center which contacted next of kin to our teammates serving at the Pentagon… During that time, all commercial aircraft disappeared from the skies. It would be days before I would see any planes in the sky above me as I walked to and from home, and it was a great comfort to see that tentative step toward normalcy." — Joel Doolin, FEMA Resilience National Preparedness Directorate National Assessments & Integration Director, who was serving active duty in the Navy and was stationed in Memphis, Tennessee on 9/11. “We lost the task force, good friends of mine, guys I went to school with, we lost. Once I got there my mind could not fathom, I could not process that this pile used to be a tower. It was very difficult initially. But then again, I had a job to do.” — Pete Bakersky, who was originally from New York, served as the ESF 9 Group Supervisor for FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue efforts at Ground Zero. Pete retired from FEMA in 2016. He passed away in 2020. “Photographing the Pentagon after 9/11 was a true honor… Covering an event such as this is not something that ever leaves you—the memory is like a fine saffron thread that is embedded in your soul—forever.” — Jocelyn Augustino, Visual Imaging Specialist Manager who worked as a FEMA photographer onsite at the Pentagon following the attacks. (Video) Steve Sterling - former Denver MERS Chief On 9/11, Stephen was deployed to New York to support FBI operations. “We worked two weeks straight, searching for any survivors or victims. Even the smallest act of service and the simplest act of kindness is a way to honor those we lost. If we learn nothing else from this tragedy we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate." — John Kosciolek Jr., FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Branch Director, who served as a fire fighter at Ground Zero. “As my cab turned onto 16th Street near the White House, I saw tanks and artillery batteries in the streets of my city. At that moment, the emotional protection of being a FEMA employee with a mission evaporated. I was just fearful and sad. I was just an American.” — Christi Harlan, who served as FEMA's Director of External Affairs on Sept. 11, 2001 Christi Harlan captured this photo of a plane sent to Montana to pick up senior FEMA staff after the attacks on September 11. (Video) Lai Sun Yee - former Federal Coordinating Officer for FEMA The morning of Sept. 11, Lai Sun was working at the NYC Office of Emergency Management at the World Trade Center. “Photographs I took of ground zero are, I’m told, in the Smithsonian Institute’s archives. One image I captured, of a search and rescue dog, hangs in my living room today. It’s a reminder of how my life, all of our lives, changed on 9/11. It’ll never be the same; it’s been divided into before and after.” — Amanda Bicknell, Mitigation and Risk Communication Specialist, who served as a public affairs specialist for FEMA on September 11. Blog On the morning of September 11, 2001, the skies were clear. Joel Pirrone, now an emergency manager at FEMA’s National Response and Coordination Center, knew that a cloudless sky meant that a plane hitting one of the twin towers was probably not an accident. Read Joel's full story. (Video) Stacie Greff - former Public Affairs Specialist At the time, Stacie was a FEMA reservist in public affairs. She led FEMA's public affairs ...