9/11 First Responder Says Thoughts, Emotions to Stay Forever

New York (PNA/Sputnik) — Casquarelli, a 60-year-old retired lieutenant for the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), was forced to watch the early hours of the aftermath of the attacks on his Brooklyn firehouse television set.

THEN CAME THE CALL

After both towers of the World Trade Center had collapsed, Casquarelli and his company were called in to Lower Manhattan to assist in search-and-recover operations.

While driving over the Manhattan Bridge through the smoke, they arrived at Ground Zero. None of them knew they would call it home for the next two and a half months.

BODIES

The total amount of casualties at the World Trade Center site was 2,852. Of those casualties, 343 were firefighters and 71 were law enforcement officers.

As Casquarelli and his team searched the ruble for bodies, there was one body in particular, one of their own, that couldn’t be moved. It formed an image that Casquarelli said he would never forget.

I HAD TO RETIRE

The following year, Casquarelli retired from the FDNY due to health reasons. Following a pulmonary exam of his lungs he was diagnosed with Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) and learned that he had lost 37 percent of his lung capacity.

According to the World Trade Center Environmental Organization, the dust and fumes that surrounded Ground Zero contained toxins such as lead, mercury and dioxin.

Casquarelli had spent weeks breathing in that very same dust.

In the years following the attacks, Casquarelli developed more than just a physical disability that barred him from working. Mentally, he noticed something wrong as well.

After seeking mental help, Casquarelli believes he has his mental condition under control.

MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL

Of the 343 firefighters who died on September 11, 2001, Casquarelli knew roughly 40. Some were merely acquaintances, while others were close friends.

As the world marks the 14th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Casquarelli will head to his Brooklyn firehouse and attend a memorial to remember them all.

Despite losing numerous friends and succumbing to mental and physical health problems, one thing Casquarelli does not feel is hatred.

Casquarelli currently volunteers at the 9/11 Tribute Center, a non-profit organization founded in 2006 that provides the public with first hand accounts of the September 11 attacks from victims’ family members, survivors and first responders. One of Casquarelli’s favorite jobs at the center is providing guided tours of the National September 11 Memorial to tourists who visit the site. (PNA/Sputnik)JBP/CDN