J. R. Lawson, Project Leader

Building and Fire Research Labo

National Institute of Standards and Tec

U.S. Department of Commerce

james.lawson@nist.gov

Federal Building and Fire Safety Inves

of the World Trade Center Disast

Project #8,

Fire Service Technologies and G

December 2, 2003
Data Collection Agreements Data Collection Agreements [Octobe

[Octob

• NIST and The City of New York

Agreement allowing NIST to inspect the 911 em

telephone tapes that were recorded during the 

incident on September 11, 2001 and inspect tr

500 FDNY interviews conducted just following 

• NIST, The National Commission on Ter

Upon The United States (the 9-11 ComThe City of New York 

Agreement allowing NIST to interview a total o

employees, drawn from FDNY and NYPD
Types of Data Being Collected Types of Data Being Collected

• Documentary• Photographic [photographs and v• Electronic [audio recordings]• First Person Interviews 

Data Collection Data Collection

Data Sources Data Sources

• FDNY, PANYNJ, NYPD, Published 

and data
Examples of Data Collected Examples of Data Collected

• List of fatalities [FDNY, NYPD, PAPD]• List of FDNY equipment lost [fire engine• Dispatch records from FDNY• FDNY unit operations at the incident• FDNY and NYPD high-rise operations pl• Communications systems design and op• Recordings of communications [PANYNJ• Supporting documents for the FDNY McK
First Person [face First Person [face

-to

-face] Interview

face] Interview

• New York City

FDNY Interviews - 100

Command Officers, Company Officers, Fir

Squads, Communications, Fire Marshals, 

NYPD Interviews - 25Command Officers, Special Operations Di

Communications Personnel, and Aviation 

• Port Authority of New York and New Jer

PANYNJ Interviews - 15

PAPD Command Officers, Police Officers, Staff, Communications Personnel
First Person [face First Person [face

-to

-face] Interview

face] Interview

• Interviews with Port Authority of New Yo

Jersey emergency responder personnel 

• Interviews with FDNY and NYPD person

planned and are expected to begin in De

• Qualitative analysis of interview data an

documentary data gathered will use Atla

Data Analysis Data Analysis 
Electronic Communications Data A

Electronic Communications Data A

• Most of the radio and telephone communi

NIST’s possession have been listened to a

• Review and analysis includes communica

PANYNJ/PAPDNYPDFDNY Channel 30
Dispatch/arrival of emergency respon

By 8:48 am 26 FDNY units dispatched

8:52 am 5 NYPD ESU units dispatched9:00 am 66 FDNY units dispatched9:15 am 121 FDNY units dispatched 30 FD

9:59 am 171 FDNY units dispatched 74 FD

10:29 am 214 FDNY units dispatched 103 FD

Note: Arrival times are determined from 10-48 

by units as they arrive at their assigned l

Noteworthy Information on Events 

Noteworthy Information on Events 
Evacuation and emergency response:

• PAPD Desk receives two orders from a PAPD officevacuation of building by 8:48 am. • FDNY establishes command post in lobby of WTC • PATH trains were bringing people into the WTC at • PAPD called three times for evacuation of WTC 1 a

then “all buildings in the complex” within the 3-1/2 before the second plane struck at 9:03 am.

• Numerous emergency responders ascending in WT

on their radios that they must stop and rest before c

• A FDNY Chief Officer makes radio call ordering all 

to come down to the lobby at 9:32 am.

• At and below the 79th floor of WTC 2, firefighters a

occupants, assisting the injured, and fighting fires a

Noteworthy Information (2) Noteworthy Information (2)
Condition of WTC towers:

• At 9:30 am, a FDNY Chief Officer inside WTC 1 fee

move and makes the decision that the building is no 

• At 9:49 am, NYPD helicopters provide a radio repo

pieces” are falling from WTC 2.

• At 10:07 am, NYPD aviation units warn that WTC 1 • At 10:20 am, NYPD aviation unit reports that WTC 

south.

Noteworthy Information (3) Noteworthy Information (3)
Noteworthy Information on Communicatio

Noteworthy Information on Communicati

• Radio systems appeared to work well duri

operations before the attack. 

• An open or keyed mike on a handie-talkie transmitte

wave disrupting communications on one PAPD radio 

• After the attack the NYPD Central, Special Operation

radio channel experienced similar carrier wave disrucommunications. 
Noteworthy Information on Commu

Noteworthy Information on Commu

• All radio communications evaluated by this 

experienced surge load conditions that occattack.

Traffic Volume - Traffic volume made it more difficult 

the flow and delivery of information.

Doubling - Multiple radio transmissions on the s

frequency at the same time made comore difficult.

Roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of the communications were not compl

conditions.
Questions? Questions?