> Federal Emergency Management Agency
>
> Interview of Director Joe Allbaugh with Dan Rather
>
> September 14, 2001
>
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>
> MR. RATHER: On CBS you are watching continuing coverage of the attack
> on America.
>
> Joining us now live here at our CBS World News Headquarters is the
> director of the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency,
> FEMA, Joe Allbaugh.
>
> Mr. Allbaugh, thanks for taking time to do this. You\'ve spent time
> down around the World Trade Center. Tell me what you saw. Tell me what
> impressed you the most. Tell me what troubled you the most.
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: It\'s a\--it\'s a horrendous sight. I know you\'re
> trying to do justice on television with the tape, but unless you visit
> the site, you can\'t really feel the gravity of the situation, of the
> impact. I am concerned about the lives of people that may be still in
> the rubble that we\'re trying to rescue.
>
> MR. RATHER: Do you think there are people still alive in the rubble?
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: Possibly, possibly. The time is working against us,
> quite frankly. We\'ve got New York City\'s finest, the Police
> Department, the Fire Department, members of our National Urban Search
> and Rescue Team. We have nine in town right now. These task forces
> consist of two teams of 31 people each who are technically proficient
> with high-caliber equipment to go in and find folks. People are moving
> as quickly as they can and as delicately as they can as it\'s still a
> crime scene. We have people in the building, and we need to start
> removing debris, which is estimated at maybe a half a million tons.
> That is a lot to move.
>
> MR. RATHER: You met with these Urban Search and Rescue teams during
> the day. What did they tell you?
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: It\'s tough inside. It\'s tough inside, and I worry
> about those folks going inside. They can only spend so many hours.
> Right now they\'re on 12-hour shifts, 12 on and 12 off. Spaces are
> tight, breathing conditions are difficult, clogging their equipment,
> for their own personal safety is one of my biggest concern. Just
> fatigue setting in with the entire city. So we\'re working on
> scenarios to make sure people get proper rest, proper counseling.
>
> Speaking of counseling, Mayor Giuliani and I today visited the Family
> Center. And those folks there, it\'s the toughest thing. They\'re
> looking for answers. There are more questions right now than we have
> answers, and I would ask that everyone just be patient. It\'s going to
> take time to search through all of this.
>
> And if you could just see the questions and hurt in their face, I wish
> I could relieve all of that, but we can\'t. It\'s going to be a long
> process. But the amazing thing is this country has the spirit to pull
> through this.
>
> MR. RATHER: We\'ve heard all kinds of reports of other buildings about
> to collapse.
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: Right.
>
> MR. RATHER: Give us some facts. Are there other major buildings
> teetering on the edge of collapse?
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: Possibly. We don\'t know yet. The structural engineers
> are in the buildings right now, city engineers, state engineers. I\'ve
> asked General Bob Flowers \[ph\] to make sure that his structural
> engineers are available to us. The interesting thing is that whatever
> we can bring to the table, whatever Mayor Giuliani wants to get,
> whatever Governor Pataki wants to get, that was my direct instructions
> from President Bush. We will make sure the city has what they need to
> recover in this process.
>
> MR. RATHER: How long before the rescue, recover, and clean out the
> mess\--weeks?
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: Maybe months.
>
> MR. RATHER: Maybe months?
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: I mean, a half a million tons of debris, and yet we need
> to be dignified in the process, show proper respect to those folks who
> have lost their lives?
>
> MR. RATHER: Have you ever seen anything anywhere near like this in
> your life?
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: No, and I never want to see this again and no one does,
> no one does. This is tough.
>
> MR. RATHER: Characterize New York\'s response.
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: Incredible, incredible. The devastation I saw when we
> all went down yesterday was massive, and yet driving down the street,
> New Yorkers were lining the street, and it was incredible to see that
> spirit\--people applauding, yelling words of encouragement. That\'s
> what\'s going to get us through this.
>
> MR. RATHER: Bottom-line cost in dollars, estimates?
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: I have no idea. It\'s too early to tell.
>
> MR. RATHER: As much as \$15- \$20 billion?
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: Possibly.
>
> MR. RATHER: Thank you very much.
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: Good to see you.
>
> MR. RATHER: Good to see you. Good luck.
>
> MR. ALLBAUGH: Thank you.
>
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