# **FEMA Director Allbaugh with Charlie Gibson, ABC Good Morning America** 

**09/19/01**

CHARLIE GIBSON: We are joined by the FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh...a shot
in from the site. We shot these over the weekend but they are really
quite some testament to what's going on. And as we show them you should
just narrate, Joe what were seeing here.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: This is as close to the site as we possibly can
get. I

think that may be Building 5 right there; we're shooting where there was
an incredible fire that's Building 2 I believe. But you'll notice that
what we've seen here of men and women working shoulder and shoulder
together. New York Fire, New York Police, Urban Search and Rescue
Teams...

CHARLIE GIBSON: We've said a number of times you can't, you really can't

define with a television screen...

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: You can't.

CHARLIE GIBSON: \...the enormity, the immensity...

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: It's impossible. What we're doing right now
trying to get to these sites that you're seeing. We've had rescuers in
these sites scouring pockets where there possible can be lives still to
be rescued. But we're trying to clear the debris right now from the
site, so we make the site safe for those individuals who are on the
scene.

CHARLIE GIBSON: ...speaking to the Police Commissioner a little bit
earlier.

He was talking about how incredibly hot -- in these pockets where some
of these men go. We've got some of the pictures really in these tunnels
that they're finding. First of all \-\-- discouraging when they get in
there and don't find anybody?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Yeah, it's very discouraging. I go there at least
once a day to see what kind of progress we've had. When you visit with
those men and women coming out of the site you can just see the emotion
on their face. We have counselors on site to handle these individuals as
they come out of the level. It is just tremendous what they're going
through, not only physically but emotionally. That's why we rotate our
teams about every four days. These men and women are working 12 on and
12 off. And they've been doing now since last Tuesday. It is absolutely
a miracle what's going on,

CHARLIE GIBSON: I was talking to somebody that was down there the other
day

he said he was prepared to see the ... being lifted away. But he said
what I've forgotten about is that this is a crime scene \-\-- expect
people walking around literally with little pails and trowels sifting
through material every square inch of the ...

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Not only is it a crime scene, but obviously \_\_
individuals to recover. It is a site where those men and women are
putting their lives at risk are being very respectful (background site
noise).

CHARLIE GIBSON: Who are the people that are down there now actually
going into the tunnels and doing the recovery? Are they professionals or
still volunteers?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: They are professionals because we're at a point
where it becomes very, very technical. You need folks who have the
expertise and the experience more importantly to go into these potential
voids. Crawl in and around the steel girders, the concert. We have 1.2
million tons of debris estimated to be removed. And that's going to take
a while.

CHARLIE GIBSON: Your original estimate there was about a half a million
tons. It's 1.2 million now?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: That's correct. That's correct. We've brought in
experts in and the Corps of Engineers. Bob \_\_\_ has made those folks
available to us to work side by side with City engineers who are mapping
out were we are. Glass, concert, steel \-\-- I mean it is a massive,
massive project.

CHARLIE GIBSON: Given the fact that there's about 55 tons that has been
removed so far, that's less than 5 percent ....

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: It will take to \_\_\_.

CHARLIE GIBSON: Are we talking about a year, or are we talking about
months?

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Definitely months.

CHARLIE GIBSON: All right. One thing Joe that struck most ...

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Just thinking about those individuals that we'd
like to find. Everything else \_\_\_ by comparison trying to recovery
those individuals, and those that have the ability to risk their lives
to go and find them. It's amazing. A lot of countries try to replicate
our spirit. You're seeing it right down the street. It's something that
is unique about our Country. Something we need to be proud of. And it is

emotional.

CHARLIE GIBSON: All right. Thanks Joe Allbaugh, Director of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency. Thanks very much.

DIRECTOR JOE ALLBAUGH: Thanks Charlie