**FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh on CNN with Paula Zahn**

**09/25/01**

PAULA ZAHN: FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh. Don't call you Joseph, right?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: I don't like that.

PAULA ZAHN: Look. Good to see you.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Good to see you, Paula.

PAULA ZAHN: The Fire Commissioner last night said he had all but given
up hope of inding anyone in the rubble of the World Trade Center. Do you
\-\--?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: We're loosing time. Time is working against us. I
think we all pray and hope for a miracle. But this morning, we're about
to mark two weeks and it's highly unlikely we're going to find anyone
alive. But, those workers down the street are working as diligently, as
hard as they can. It's going to start raining here later this morning.
They're putting their own lives at risk, the men and women, down at the
site. They are heroes, just like those individuals who were lost are
heroes to America.

PAULA ZAHN: Take us inside the process now. And, as we talk we're going
to share with the audience some of the video your cameras captured. The
difficulty now and the challenge, you said, besides the dangerous and
slippery conditions that await these workers later today is what?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Right. Tight places. I was down with Urban Search
and Rescue team yesterday, as well as New York City fire officials. And
these men and women go inside and can only spend about 20-30 minutes
before they run into pockets of carbon monoxide. It takes such a toll,
they have to come out and rest for about an hour. We have dogs on site.
I think there was a dog that you just saw...

PAULA ZAHN: Yeah. There's one right there.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Roscoe. I believe that's Roscoe. He carries a
miniature camera around his neck. And then his handler has a camera
monitor as the dog can get into places, sometimes that individuals can't
get into. They are really heroes, what they're doing, and performing
yeoman duty.

PAULA ZAHN: And what is it you're looking for, in those tight spots?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Signs of life, quite frankly. Pockets where
individuals may have congregated. But, there is, you know, 14-, 1,500
story building now that's compressed into about 80 feet. I mean, it is
really tough. The building was made of steel and concrete. The steel is
just twisted like pretzels. The concrete's basically disintegrated. And
time is still working against us.

PAULA ZAHN: You said they are, they continue to have extremely dangerous
work conditions down there. Describe to us some of the injuries that
these workers are sustaining and \-\--.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Yes. I ran into an individual yesterday who had
suffered an injury, a large piece of glass come off one of the buildings
surrounding the site, hit him in the back. A large gash, I think there
had been 14- or 1,500 people injured at the site thus far. Working, we
have about, at any one time, 25-, 2,600 individuals working in one of
the four zones at the site. These people are incredible individuals. I'm
not sure that I could \-\--, Paula. They are unique Americans and I'm
thankful that they're here.

PAULA ZAHN: I know it's \-\-- to hear that many of these workers have to
be reminded that their shift is up after 24-hours. And they need to go
home, which I think shows the level of men that they have. How long is
it going to take to get the site cleaned up?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Months. It's going to take months. About 1.2
million tons of debris to be removed. And that's going to take a while.
I know City engineers, as well as the Corps of Engineers, are working
right now to dredge out an area around Pier 6, so we can bring barges
and help facilitate the removal of the debris. But, it's going to take
months.

PAULA ZAHN: How will your job change? Once this new Homeland Security
Cabinet position is up and running?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: I don't know yet. Gov. Ridge, who is a fine
American, is the perfect man for this job. He and I haven't spoken yet.
I've been focused here on New York and at the Pentagon and Pennsylvania,
on those sites. But, it will change somewhat. I'm sure it will. But,
this is a monumental task. The whole world has changed, as of two weeks
go.

PAULA ZAHN: And the other thing, obviously, that has to be a concern of
yours, is the warning coming out of the World Health Organization. And I
could read it right here: "That governments need to be prepared for
possible biological or chemical weapons attacks." Are you satisfied with
the level of small pox vaccines that are on hand and anti-botulism
vaccines?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: I'm not sure that I am satisfied. But, at the
same time, we have a FEMA center \-\-- dealing with the registration,
local responders trying to educate them, training them to be prepared
and in their response, should anything like this take place.

PAULA ZAHN: Well, we wish you continued good luck. Anybody across the
country that's watching what you and your team's trying to do along with
the help of men and women who have come in from all over the country is
quite admirable.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Thanks very much, Paula. There's one thing I need
to mention, though. As a result of all this, people are going to need
counseling. One of the things that we offer is crisis counseling. I need
to give you a phone number...

PAULA ZAHN: Okay.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: ...so people can call in.

PAULA ZAHN: What's the number? Pen and a piece of paper.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Forgive me for reading this, but I want to be
exact. It's 1-800-462-9029. It's a place where they can register...

PAULA ZAHN: We've actually got it up on the screen now.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: ...register. It starts the flow of federal
assistance. They need to call that number if they have not yet.

PAULA ZAHN: This is one of the rare times we allow people to use a 1-800
number here on the ...

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Yes. I understand.

PAULA ZAHN: You're not running for office, so we'll allow. No. I think
it's for a very good reason. Continued good luck.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Thank you.