# 9/11 Dispatcher transcript

On March 29 2006, New York Supreme Court justice Richard F. Braun ordered the release of 28 identified 9-1-1 phonecalls of individuals trapped in the burning World Trade Center to their families, and the release of the dispatchers' half of all 130 conversations to the general public.

## Chris Hanley, NYPD, FDNY - 8:57:02

| Speaker | Transcript |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | Police operator 1886, what is your emergency? |
| Chris Hanley | I'm on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center. We just had an explosion on the like 105th floor. |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | The 1-0-6 floor? |
| Chris Hanley | Yes. |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | 1-0-6, okay, umm |
| Chris Hanley | We have a conference up here and there's about a hundred people up here. |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | What is your last name? |
| Chris Hanley | Hanley. H-a-n-l-e-y. |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | H-a-n-? |
| Chris Hanley | We have smoke and it's pretty bad. |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | (typing is heard) This is on the 1-0-6 floor, right? |
| Chris Hanley | Hello? |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | Okay, we have the job. Let me connect you with the Fire, okay? |
| Chris Hanley | |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | You have. Hold on, let me connect you with Fire, okay? |
| Chris Hanley | We have about a hundred people here. We can't get down the stairs. |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | Hold on. Let me connect you with fire. |
| note | phone rings six times, the dispatcher is heard muttering "Come on now..." before the transfer takes place |
| Fire Dept 408 | Fire Department 408. Where's the fire? |
| Chris Hanley | Yeah, hi. I'm on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center. We just had an explosion up here. |
| Fire Dept 408 | Okay, 1-0-6th floor, what building are you in, sir? One or two? |
| Chris Hanley | That's one World Trade. |
| Fire Dept 408 | Alright |
| NYPD Dispatcher 1886 | (interrupting) One? |
| Fire Dept 408 | Yeah. |
| Chris Hanley | Yeah, there's smoke, and we have about a hundred people up here. |
| Fire Dept 408 | Sit tight. Do not leave, okay? There's a fire or an explosion or something in the building. Alright, I want you to stay where you are. |
| Chris Hanley | Yes. |
| Fire Dept 408 | Alright, what's your phone number there? |
| Chris Hanley | We're on the 106th, the 106th floor. |
| Fire Dept 408 | What's your phone number sir, your phone number? |
| Chris Hanley | 646-752-1436 |
| Fire Dept 408 | Alright, we're there. We're coming up to get you. |
| Chris Hanley | I can see the smoke coming up from outside the windows down... |
| Fire Dept 408 | All right, we're on the way. |
| Chris Hanley | Huh? |
| Fire Dept 408 | We're on the way, sir. |
| Chris Hanley | Okay, please hurry. |
| Fire Dept 408 | Alright, just keep some windows open if you can open up windows and just sit tight. It's going to be a while because there's a fire going on downstairs. |
| Chris Hanley | We can't open the windows unless we break them. |
| Fire Dept 408 | Okay, just sit tight. |
| Chris Hanley | Okay. |
| Fire Dept 408 | All right. Just sit tight. We're on the way. |
| Chris Hanley | Alright, please hurry. |

## Melissa Doi, 9-1-1

| Speaker | Transcript |
| Melissa Doi | (muttering to herself in distressed state) Holy Mary, Mother of God! |
| NYPD Dispatcher 8695 | 8695, good morning, unintelligible good day |
| ACD 2252 | Hi, what's your number again please? |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | 8-6-9-5 |
| Melissa Doi | Oh god, I'm on the 83rd floor... |
| ACD 2252 | 8-6...what? |
| Melissa Doi | I'm on the 83rd floor! |
| ACD 2252 | Ma'am, stop that, 8-6-what? |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | 8-6-9-5 |
| ACD 2252 | unintelligible...somebody's having difficulty breathing on the 83rd floor. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Hi there ma'am, how're you doing? |
| Melissa Doi | Is it...is it...are they going to be able to get somebody up here? |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Well of course ma'am, we're coming up to you. |
| Melissa Doi | Well, there's no one here yet, and the floor's completely engulfed. We're on the floor and we can't breathe. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | unintelligible |
| Melissa Doi | And it's very, very, very hot. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | It's very...are the lights still on? |
| Melissa Doi | The lights are on, but it's very hot. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Ma'am, now m'am... |
| Melissa Doi | VERY hot! We're all on the other side of Liberty, and it's very, very hot. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Well the lights, can you turn the lights off? |
| Melissa Doi | No, no the lights are off. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay good, now everybody stay calm, you'd doing a good job... |
| Melissa Doi | Please! |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Ma'am listen, everybody's coming, everybody knows, everybody knows what happened, okay...they have to take time to come up there, you know that. You got to be very careful. |
| Melissa Doi | very hot |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | I understand. You’ve got to be very, very careful… how they approach you, okay? Now you stay calm. How many people where you’re at right now? |
| Melissa Doi | There's like, five people here with me. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | All up on 83rd floor? |
| Melissa Doi | 83rd floor. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | with five people...five patients... everybody's having trouble breathing? |
| Melissa Doi | Everybody's having trouble breathing, some people are worse...than others. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Anybody's unconscious, everybody's awake? |
| Melissa Doi | So far yes, but it's... |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Listen, listen, everybody's awake? |
| Melissa Doi | Yes, so far. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Conscious? And it's very hot there, but no fire, right? |
| Melissa Doi | I can't see because it's too hot. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | No, no, very hot, no fire for now, and no smoke right? no smoke, right? |
| Melissa Doi | OF COURSE THERE'S SMOKE! |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Ma'am, ma'am, you have to stay calm. |
| Melissa Doi | There is smoke! I can't breathe! |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay, stay calm with me, okay? I understand... |
| Melissa Doi | I think there is fire because it's very hot. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay, it's... |
| Melissa Doi | It's very hot, everywhere on the floor. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay, I know you don't see it and all, but I'm, I'm...stumbles over words...I'm gonna, I'm documenting everything you say, okay? And it's very hot, you see no fire, but you see smoke, right? |
| Melissa Doi | It's very hot, I see...I don't...see any air anymore! |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay... |
| Melissa Doi | All I see is smoke. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay dear, I'm so sorry, hold on for a sec, stay calm with me, stay calm. |
| Melissa Doi Please! |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Listen, listen, the call is in, I'm documenting, I'm going to let them, hold on one second please... |
| Melissa Doi | I'm going to die, aren't I? *cries* |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | No, no, no, no, no, no, no, say your, ma'am, say your prayers. |
| Melissa Doi | I'm going to die! I know I am. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | You gotta think positive, because you gotta help each other get off the floor. |
| Melissa Doi | I'm going to die! I know I am! *cries* |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Now look, stay calm, stay calm, stay calm, stay calm. |
| Melissa Doi | Please, God... |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | You're doing a good job ma'am, you're doing a good job. |
| Melissa Doi | No, it's so hot, I'm burning up. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay ma'am, the floor is hot, everything is hot, is there, are there, are there desks there? You go up high, you get yourself away from the smoke. Okay, I know you know, hold on. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | (into radio) 83rd floor, three people trapped |
| unidentified | (into radio) Where? |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | (into radio) Way out on the 83rd floor, they're trapped, very hot...that's what I'm doing, just letting you know. |
| Melissa Doi | (excited interrupting) Wait! Wait! We hear voices! (screaming to firefighters) HELLO! HELP! |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Hello, ma'am? Ma'am? |
| Melissa Doi | (screaming to firefighters) HEEEEELP |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay, stay calm, ma'am, ma'am. |
| Melissa Doi | (screaming to firefighters) HEEEEELP |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Stay calm, stay calm, just don't move. |
| Melissa Doi | Oh my god... |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | They coming through to you now? |
| Melissa Doi | Find out if there's anybody here on the 83rd floor. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Ma'am, don't you worry, you stay on the phone with me and we'll... |
| Melissa Doi | Can you find out if there's anybody on the 83rd floor, because we thought we heard somebody! |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Ma'am, now listen, excuse me, I already notified the lieutenant, okay? |
| unidentified | garbled radio traffic |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | I already notified the lieutenant that there's five people on the 83rd floor, very hot and smoky, so they won't overlook you, okay dear? |
| Melissa Doi | Can you...can you... |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | I already did that dear. |
| Melissa Doi | Stay on the line with me please, I feel like I'm dying. |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Yes ma'am, I am going to stay with you. |
| Melissa Doi | They're here? |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Are they inside with you yet dear? |
| Melissa Doi | No |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay, stay calm until they get inside. |
| Melissa Doi | Can you find out where they are? |
| 911 Dispatcher 8695 | Okay, stay calm, stay calm, stay calm until they get inside. |
| Melissa Doi | Karen... |
| unidentified | radio traffic between Dispatcher 8695 and an unknown |

## Annotations

* ↑ In the supplementary police report, his phonecall was explained as (T58) ANTHR CALL MC HANLEY STS SMOKE ON THE 106FLR . SMOKE N PEOPLE CANNOT GET DOWN THE FLR...FD 408 NTFD.....BLDG 1 TRADE CENTR .... CB 646-752-1436 ....PR 1886CP58+
* ↑ The operator's spur-of-the-moment advice to get higher in the room "away from the smoke" is more dangerous, but was perhaps meant to get them off the fiery hot floorboards.
* ↑ Doi had actually said there were five people with her, not three
* ↑ Doi here is addressing her co-worker, Karen Schmidt.
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