9 11: A First Responder To 9/11

A First Responder To 9/11 My dad has been a police officer and paramedic for over 25 years and retired this past year. He has worked in an ambulance, helicopter, and on the streets. Being a police officer is a difficult job not just on the officer, but also on the family. My dad often worked from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. or from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. With him working these hours, we would rarely see him on the days he worked. Every time he would leave for work, he would put his life on the line. It takes a lot of bravery to do what my dad has done. In 2001, my dad was working at the helicopter unit of the police department. On Tuesday, September 11th, my dad was flying with two other flight crew members when they were called back to the base. When they landed, the lieutenant came out and said, “Get inside now, an airplane has hit the World Trade Center.” At this point, my dad and his crew did not think it was a big deal. The World Trade Center was in New York and they were in Virginia. They …show more content…
So, they went back inside and sat there until they were called about 40 minutes later. By then, one of the towers had fallen and they knew that this was terrorism. When they got in the helicopter, my dad started putting in the address of where they were going. When he looked outside, he stopped putting in the address; they did not need it because they could see the thick, black smoke from the Pentagon. “There was not a cloud in the sky, not an airplane anywhere.” He said that this was unusual because there were always smaller airplanes everywhere. As they headed towards the Pentagon, they had to check in with Dulles Tower to let them know that they were coming, and then they had to check in with the National Tower. When they called Dulles, Dulles Tower said, “National Tower has been abandoned. You guys are on your own. God