I was a volunteer at 9/11 World Trade Center site. AMA.

Why is someone downvoting this entire thread?

My question: were you there when the FDNY and the NYPD had a major brawl that sent cops to the hospital? Giuliani tried to fire the firefighters from body removal to cut costs, and the FDNY told him to pound sand.

Someone is downvoting probably because mods didn't think my proof was strong. I had to post it on my facebook to give credibility.

No, I wasn't there during the brawl. I was there 4 days after the collapse. The brawl was 2 months after. Sad to hear.

How were you affected emotionally while you were there? Did you have trouble sleeping or were you too exhausted to think?

As far as emotions are concerned, being there was mostly about looking at the big mess in disbelief. I didn't see any gore, so it didn't disturb my sleep. I can't say I was exhausted, because we didn't dig all day, that was rescuers' job. We didn't rescue; we helped people who tried to rescue. That meant, mostly, low-level activities like unloading and giving stuff out.

Were you bothered more after the event? I can see someone being in a "let's get sh*t done" mode during, but then when you have time to think about it later, it can be much more affecting.

I remember wanting to do anything, so I went to donate blood, but I weighed about 100 pounds at the time and looked it, so the woman apologized and kindly turned me away, and I just burst out in tears. The desire to be there doing something was so strong in so many people, and good on you for diving in to help.x

I had dreams about running in WTC to save someone, for about a week after my trip.

Somewhat cute how she saved you from getting drained and disappearing :)

Hahaha, she was super sweet about it and totally understood my motivations. She even said, "You can have a cookie anyway," to which I responded dramatically, "I don't deserve a cookie!"

But on the plus side, I then became determined to be a blood donor, and would wear thick sweaters when I'd go in (I was told on the sly that if you're at least 100, it's fine, but the official minimum weight is 115). I then proceeded to donate for years every few months and never had a problem.

So I wasn't a help then (and almost certainly wouldn't have been for that situation regardless), but at least other people were helped along the way.

Anyway, totally off-topic. On another note, it's almost unbelievable that anyone born on 9/11 is now 18. I remember that day so, so vividly. I can only imagine how well you remember it.x

http://arnoldzwicky.s3.amazonaws.com/RubinDramaticExit.jpg

Helping someone is just as important for ourselves as it is for that someone. Keep that inner compass finely tuned.

Haha, love the comic.

And yes, I love helping others, but I'll very willingly admit it's because helping others makes me feel good (I'd say it's one of life's greatest antidepressants). And the worse the news is, the more that love of helping becomes an absolute need. Catastrophe in Europe? F\ck it, I need to go help an old lady cross the street RIGHT NOW.* Tragedy is underrated (yes, there are far better ways of phrasing that) in how much it connects and unites people.

And speaking of which: Did you feel a strong bond with the other volunteers/workers around you during that time? Or was everyone more detached and (probably) working through their own emotions inside? Have you kept in touch with anyone from that days/those days?

Had I been an official volunteer, I would have probably worked in a team and interacted with the same people over and over, which could have lead to bonding. But I came unofficially (I don't even know if there were any official volunteer structures), so I was a free agent to do whatever I want. Truck with water arrived — I went and helped to unload; masks arrived — went around and distributed them; some boxes needed to be moved — carried the boxes. Doing this, I interacted with new people all the time that kept coming into my life for half an hour and then leaving. I met a Congolese student, then a young blue collar dude who camped in the park, and then a girl from my home country with who I thought I had a hint at chemistry, but then life got in the way. Last I checked on her, she moved to London and was an artist.

Was there anyone left to rescue?

I read about just 1 or 2 people pulled from the rubble alive, but that must have been before I arrived; no survivors were pulled during my stay.

Did you get sick from being there?

No signs, and hopefully there won't be any. I wore the respirator the entire time.

If you haven't already, please make an appointment with the world trade center health program for health monitoring.

Thank you, didn't know about it. Will take a look at it.

Do you have any plans of revisiting Ground Zero at some point to pay respects?

I have been to NYC several times since then, and yes, I visit WTC site every time. Not quite happy with how they redid it, I wish they had rebuilt, but well, what can I do.

Have you been to the museum and, if so, how did you feel about the Bin Laden exhibit?

I visited a few years ago and to be honest I felt it was a bit jarring and maybe would have been better somewhere like the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (where they also have a 9/11 exhibit.)

No, I haven't been to the museum. Will hit it next time I'm in NYC. Thank you for your input.

Trust me, it's really good. It's kind of depressing but it's interesting and very informative

I am totally going there next time I'm in NYC.

How did you go about volunteering? Did you just show up or were they asking for volunteers? Wasn't the area "secured"? Was there a problem with "looky-lous" or "fake volunteers"?

I just jumped in the car and drove to NYC. No one was asking for volunteers — after all, it's New York, so you can always count on tons of people to show up and offer help or be in the way. Yes, the area was cordoned off south of Canal street, but if you wore a reflective "municipal" jacket and a hard hat, that sort of added to your credibility. Some cops would let you through, while others would bark at you and tell you to leave. There was no consistency. After a day, I went to Seamen's Church Institute, where the volunteers, police, and firefighters could eat and rest, and got a volunteer's badge.

The onlookers stayed beyond police cordones, and I'm not sure what the agenda of fake volunteers would be. Just to gawk and not help? Maybe there were such, who knows. I didn't see or hear about any issues.

Do you still have that badge?

I thought I did, but I just looked for it in my 9/11 memorabilia and I couldn't find it. It's nothing special, just a piece of hard pale blue paper with some generic text on it, no name, no photo. If I ever find it, I'll post here.

My best friend and I did the same thing and just drove to NYC on Thursday to find something we could help with because staying where we were made us feel so powerless.

When I was there, I met some guy who drove to NYC to volunteer, who lived in a tent in a park. I wonder if that could be you.

No, I'm sorry. Most telling would be that I am female, and second myself and my friend slept in our car while we were there, though not far from Union Square. I would image there were a lot of people like us though that were close enough to get there because the compulsion to DO SOMETHING was overwhelming.

Yes, I remember the feeling. So how long did you stay and what did you actually end up doing?

How did being there affect you afterwards?

For about a week or two, I had dreams that I was running into WTC to save someone. Now, I try to stay away from all things 9/11 because it just opens too big a can of worms. Like, I would accidentally watch some video on YouTube, and before I know, an entire week is gone, spent watching videos and reading.

Then... why are you making this ama?

Because I never tried talking about it. Talking could be different from watching and reading.

I have often wondered about this as well. I spent two days walking around NYC between 9/13 & 9/15 trying to find some way to help, and here I am 18 years later diagnosed with COPD. I did smoke, but even my doctor was like "You are very young for this..." But I never ever made to connection until recently.

My bro got the same thing. He was there digging for bodies. He's a cop.

Quite few people wore masks, I had to explain the danger to them over and over. I wish there was some centralized enforcement of mask wearing, considering how they kept mentioning that asbestos in media over and over.

So sorry to hear that. Between WTC and smoking, it's hard to pinpoint the culprit. Were you at Ground Zero those three days or NYC at large?

What was the environment like there? The smells, sites, sounds?

Smoldering ruins that smoldered until Christmas. The smoke could be seen from miles away.

Rescuers mostly standing, looking and discussing things, because every step had to be approved by NYPD+FDNY+FEMA+FBI+Port Authority, which was painstakingly slow.

"MORGUE" written on the wall near McDonald's on the south corner of the plaza.

Some blue-collar guy I met, who drove to NYC to volunteer, and slept in a tent in a park.

Inch-thick I-beams, torn and twisted like paper, not leaving any hope for anyone's survival.

Lots of "MISSING" pictures on the wall of the Armory on Lexington.

Some random people on the subway seeing me in the vest and hardhat and thanking me.

Ankle-high layer of document sheets in the courtyard of the Trinity Church, the only remaining spot after the streets had been cleaned up. On sheets, lawsuits and investment strategies.

A cafe under the blue tarp on Liberty Street, a lit oasis in the dark, where the firemen and police ate, sitting at the long tables.

Chinese store owners, wiping the bags that hanged on storefronts, from the dust.

Cop barking at me, "Pick up your boxes and leave the area!"

Sharp edge of boot top that rubbed on my shin till I bled

Band-aid and food at Seamen's Church Institute

The bronze sphere in the center of the WTC plaza that miraculously survived, though badly disfigured

All these threads in the fabric of a major emergency

Thank you for such vivid blurbs; as a European I've read and watched stuff about the topic quite a few times but details like these paint more colorful picture than any documentary ever could.

Yes, those little snippets that stay in memory...

"MORGUE" written on the wall near McDonald's on the south corner of the plaza.

Jesus, that sounds like something straight out of a post-apocalyptic horror movie.

Found this

http://c105inf.tripod.com/wtc/pages/morgue.htm

Maybe not the same sign, but definitely written by the same hand.

My memory failed me — it was Burger King, not McDonald's.

What were your first thoughts upon arriving at Ground Zero, what did you first notice, and how, if at all, does this affect you to this day? I think it can be hard to grasp the true magnitude of this disaster for anyone not directly impacted.

First, I saw the charred pancake of the lowrise WTC 5, as I was coming at it alongside Trinity Church.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@40.7114247,-74.0086837,3a,75y,293.91h,95.91t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1szbWCHD6G8EvXd-IY0ub-VA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DzbWCHD6G8EvXd-IY0ub-VA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D10.484298%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

The nonstop TV and radio coverage of the previous several days suddenly took shape. Abstract became real. And this reality slowly starts settling in. Like, you can look at it forever and still can't fucking believe it.

For about a week or two after volunteering, I had dreams about running into WTC to save someone. Now, I try to stay away from all things 9/11 because it just opens too big a can of worms. Like, I would accidentally watch some video on YouTube, and before I know, an entire week is gone, spent watching videos and reading.

How awesome was Steve Buscemi when you met him?

He was pretty awesome, maybe not Captain Kirk's grade of awesome, but awesome nonetheless.

Hi! How long did you work? Did you contact later people that got your help? What was the hardest thing?

I skipped my regular University classes to be there, so I couldn't stay for too long. I stayed there for 3 days, then wrote an article for the University paper and left.

My help was mostly about unloading water and handing out respirator masks to the rescuers. I didn't ask for their names, so I didn't have a way to contact them later. I like to think someone didn't get lung cancer owing to the masks, because I keep reading about 9/11 cancer deaths that happened years after the exposure to all that asbestos floating in the air.

The hardest thing was to comprehend it. Like, you could stare at those ruins forever and not believe it. As for the victims, my mind kept failing to imagine there could be people under all that rubble. Just too much.

I'm not American but thank you very much for your service!

Were you aware of asbestos when you volunteered? I wasn't even aware it was present at the wtc causing deaths until today.

Was there fear of more planes, bombs or more attacks amongst the workers ?

Lastly, if people were aware of the asbestos, were reporters kept away or given masks?

I'm not an American either, so here we have a situation where one non-American thanks another non-American for volunteering for America, and this is quite something.

I was aware of the asbestos because it kept being mentioned on TV and radio all the time, plus there was this smoldering smell, so I naturally wanted to wear the mask at all times.

No, there was no fear of more attacks. The feeling was of a gigantic aftermath.

There was no centralized effort to fit everyone with a mask. There was a pile of masks, vests, water, boots, etc just sitting there, and whoever wanted, would pick one up. Also, we would go around and give them to workers just to do something while we waited.

Слава Україні, and thank you for being there and helping out with aftermath

Героям слава!

Oh, wow, you're not? I would never have known from your syntax (and if you're not a native English speaker, I'm incredibly impressed). That makes it somehow more touching, though a good person is a good person, and nationality/race/ethnicity is hardly going to prevent a good person from doing what they do.

Well, from an American, then, thank you for being there for us in a time of need. I hope you never need us to return the favor, but if you do...I, at least, volunteer. Just let me know (I'm secretly Batman).

Thank you :)

What were the emotions of citizens, first responders, and other volunteers around you like?

It was 4—6 days after the attack, so by then, the people went back to routine. Maybe an occasional thought aloud about how "we can't let them win", but mostly dealing with issues that were directly in front of them.

Where were you when the attacks began?

In my dorm in Detroit, saw Pentagon on TV, then came to work to WTC on TV. The next couple of days were pretty much about figuring out how to skip classes and where to stay in NYC.

How common was it for rescuers to wear respirators?

Nobody enforced it, so some wore them, others didn't.

A lot of the firefighters refused to wear them, partly because of firefighter macho culture. And now a lot of them have weird kinds of cancer from breathing planes.

Odd. Of all people, I'd think the firefighters would stick to using protective equipment religiously.

You would think. At the Pentagon, workers were kicked out of the site if they weren't wearing protective equipment, but at the WTC it was treated as each person's individual choice.

Some of them also say that they took them off because it was really hot, or because it was hard to talk with them on. It's also not totally clear if all of them knew that they were available or that they were supposed to, so it's not 100% about macho culture.

True, as you said that, I instantly remembered how it felt to carry that steamy moisture on my face all the time.

First, thank you so much for what you did. Where were you when the planes hit? A general part of town is fine so not to invade your privacy.

I was in Detroit.

I imagine the general atmosphere was pretty sad and understandably so, do you have any memories of anyone trying to cheer people up and be the proverbial light in a dark place?

I wouldn't call the atmosphere sad. More like busy, surreal, contemplative. People who lost their loved ones weren't present on Ground Zero, and those present were just busy with whatever task they had at hand. Yes, people talked a lot about what had happened, but they didn't need anyone to cheer them up.

What’s a memorable story you have from volunteering there that you haven’t shared elsewhere in the thread?

My very first day, met a pretty girl who volunteered in the kitchen. She invited me to stay at her place as it was much closer to the WTC. Her gay roommate wouldn't mind, she said. So at the end of the day, I went to the far end of Brooklyn, where I was staying, to pick up my stuff. Moved in to her place past midnight. Slept on a couch in the living room, like a gentleman. In the morning, met her gay roommate who said it was admirable that I volunteered. Spent another day at Ground Zero, came home. The pretty girl said that the roommate was not comfortable with me staying at their place and that I needed to move out. Took my stuff, moved back to Brooklyn. Never saw the pretty girl again.

wtf?

Well, someone asked for a memorable story.

I hope you can respond to this, but How is your health?

Looks alright. I wore the respirator at all times.

Is it true that people used to hide their living bodies in the debris for the dogs to find so they weren’t so depressed of only finding dead bodies?

Thanks for doing this AMA I’m sure people are very grateful you’re doing it. I am for sure at-least.

Thank you. I can't envision that being done on top of a huge task of having to sort out the humongous pile of rubble, but then I know nothing about dog psychology and their needs.

Did you see Donald Trump there?

Are you referring to this? https://i.redd.it/xpgymxrj91m31.jpg

With all due respect, did you see any corpses there? Sorry if this is a stupid question.

No, I did not. I only saw "MORGUE" written on the wall next to McDonald's on the south corner of the plaza.

what made you want to volunteer? were you living in nyc at the time?

Just felt the urge to do something. Couldn't go about my daily business. I lived in Detroit back then, so I drove.

Do you worry about long term health consequences?

I only spent 3 days there, in contrast to municipal workers that were there for months, and I wore the mask at all times, so not really.

Does it effect you today?

I have to exercise self-control when I watch or read 9/11 materials, because it's a rabbit hole that can swallow me for a week.

Was respiratory protection equipment available for use at the site and did you use it?

There was a pile of masks near the entrance to the subway station that is by the backyard fence of Trinity Church. I always wore one. I also walked around and distributed them to people. Many didn't want them, so I had to insist.

Were they OSHA certified protection for mists, particles and gases?

I don't know anything about OSHA certification :(

How many people do you think are taking advantage of the offerings for site clean up. Covering health problems that exist outside of exposure at the site. Or collecting money paid to compensate those with health complaints resulting from site participation?

Distribution of attitudes of a sufficiently large number of people are described by the Gaussian bell curve. At the high end are those that sacrifice themselves seeking nothing in return. At the low end are those viewing every disaster in light of how they can use it for their personal gain. This is as much of a number that I can give you.

What was your first thought when you saw the tower with your own eyes?

Very surreal. You keep looking and can't believe you're seeing it.

How did you survive?

I volunteered starting 4 days after 9/11, I wasn't in the towers on 9/11.

Did you find any remains of thermite?

No, wasn't looking for any.

Do you expect to get cancer?

Never thought about it. Do you?

If i was involved in an event where statistically significant numbers of responders and volunteers were dying from cancers related to the event (i saw something like 19% higher), yes i would.

Sorry if I came off as rude. I wasn't there for as long as the municipal workers and I don't have any signs, so I can't say it's among my foreground thoughts. I check annually anyway.

If you do, just know that the government should pay you!

Yes, someone mentioned WTC health program that offers free annuals in New York, but I live in Canada, which is far from New York and which offers free annuals anyway.

do you believe anything to do with the conspiracy theories ?

I stick with the official version, but then I never studied conspiracy theories.

Were you there before the planes came or were you a volunteer?

Volunteered several days after the disaster.

Since you weren't there when it did happen, what was your reaction once you saw/heard about it?

I couldn't believe it, both when I saw it on TV and then when I saw it in real life. Totally surreal.

did Trump had any of his men helping at the site ?

How would I know? Would they be wearing MAGA hats?

Did you notice people treating you differently at the site and after you volunteered, because of your religion?

What's my religion?

Didn’t you say you’re Muslim?

I'm not. I mentioned a Muslim American congresswoman in my reply to someone's comment, but that's about it.

The Islamic Center of Detroit that was on my street corner got its windows smashed sometime in September 2001. Also, as I was leaving NYC, I remember hearing on the radio that some Sikh was shot because someone mistook him for a Muslim because of his turban.

I’m guessing it was horrible wasn’t it?

It was horrible fighting with surreal.

Were you there after the towers fell?

Yes, I was there during the aftermath.

Did you witness Trump's courageous acts of valour with your own eyes? He said that was there and he helped. Trump 2020! Magamaga!

Maybe he was there on different days. I didn't see no Trump there.

Thank you. Your're a hero.

What are your thoughts on Ilhan Omar's belittling of (her comments saying some people did something) 9/11 and those involved?

Well, it was mostly about giving out water bottles and respirator masks, and endless waiting. Not sure this qualifies me as a hero.

As a Muslim American, Ilhan Omar is trying to appease both halves of her electorate, which is what politicians are notorious for doing, and I'm glad she was slammed for not calling things by the right name.

"Well, it was mostly about giving out water bottles and respirator masks, and endless waiting. Not sure this qualifies me as a hero."

This is something a hero would say. It was 18 years ago, you do deserve a pat on the back. You helped ease the suffering of many many desperate people with fresh water and respirators on your own prerogative.

As I wrote earlier, I sometimes read how those present on WTC site developed lung cancer years after 9/11 because of the asbestos in the air, so I like to think I prevented someone from getting sick by insisting they wear a mask. This could be the only tangible help I gave.

What's worse was in another address she referred to it as 7/11. How does someone who claims they care get a date like that mixed up? I mean every time I see a clock read 9:11 I remember, I mean shit dude.

7/11 was Farrah Abraham, not Ilhan Omar.

Do you believe it was an inside job?

I lack any knowledge for my opinion to be of any value.

Dont be that guy. I also briefly worked in a hardhat area during 9/11. Shill your conspiracies another day.

You do realise it is an ‘ask me anything’

I’m guessing you’re American and I appreciate this tragedy left a huge mark on your country (as did it the rest of the world).

But the question was a genuine desire for insight into someone who was actually there, I’m neither buying nor selling it was an inside job but year on year more interviews and reports come out with first responders who question the story of events that we all remember from that day.....

I was there unloading water and giving out respirator masks. An untrained eye just sees a gigantic pile of rubble and can't possibly know the cause of why it happened. I didn't find any leftover dynamite sticks with George W Bush's fingerprints on them.

Did you meet Steve Buscemi? Are you Steve Buscemi?

No one was allowed to meet Steve Buscemi, he was flown on con air and was shackled in restraints.

Where do you see America's role in potentially instigating the attack?

If you mean motives, best we can do is to start here, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motives_for_the_September_11_attacks

If you mean whether it was an inside job, I have no inside knowledge.

I am not referring to an inside job. I am asking your opinion on it, not necessarily a wikipedia page. It seems interesting to hear from a responder.

I can only share what I saw right there — the ankle-deep layer of office papers, the smoldering, the wait, the barking police, the tribute wall, the "Morgue" letters on the side of a building. I really can't add much to what political analysts said about why what happened happened.

being a respondent to an event of this scale didn’t cause you to form an opinion on the origin of the attack? i don’t mean to come off as offensive but i don’t buy that really. non-responders have at least an intense opinion one way or the other

I do not subscribe to conspiracy theories, so I view the 9/11 as resulting from America's beef with Middle Eastern fundamentalists. But for my opinion to have any value, I would have to have studied the history of US/Middle East relations, or possess some inside 9/11 knowledge, none of which I have. My experience is only about the minutiae of being in Lower Manhattan in the days following the attack.

i am not referring to any conspiracy theory. i am wondering if you believe 9/11 was solely caused by terrorists with the only intention of “death to america” rather than it being a reactionary, yet wholly and definitively terroristic, attack. that’s all i wanted to get out of my question. if you are so resolute in maintaining you have a lack of experience sufficient enough to answer questions regarding 9/11, why would you post this? what sort of questions did you expect to be asked?

Everything happens for a reason. In the minds of those committing the attack, the reasons were those described in the Wikipedia article about 9/11 motives.

Please understand that if someone is a foot soldier at a volunteer relief effort, he can only answer questions about what he saw and heard personally.

yes everything happens for a reason, i wanted to know what you thought the reason was. you absolutely can answer a question about a scenario you were in and had the ability in the 18 years after to research the topic and form a valuable opinion. thank you for responding to this, and i am sorry you had to respond to the tragic event in 2001. i sincerely hope you lead a life absent of any related disease. be well friend.

Thank you

How do you feel about the fact that 9/11 continues to be venerated, even 18 years later?

It was a terror attack, but in the grand scale of things it didn't actually do that much damage. It killed 3000 people, but so did Hurricane Maria, and I don't think anyone will be talking about that in 20 years.

Meanwhile, it has been used to justify wars, routine and massive intrusion into privacy, torture and war crimes. These measures endure, even if their effectiveness is questionable.

Basically, I think that 9/11 has long since changed from an actual memorial for the victims, and has now become a political talking point or a way for politicians to signal their patriotism.

What is your opinion on that?

Each nation mourns what hits closest to home. Mass shooting of 50 in the US gets top headline on CNN for 3 days, while mass shooting of 50 in Pakistan is buried deep down below. Add in the spectacle. Seeing 3,000 killed in an inferno in real time is much more impactful than never seeing the 3,000 killed in a hurricane because their deaths are spread over vast area over the period of several days. The impactfulness determines long lasting memories.

9/11 is BOTH an actual memorial for the victims and a political talking point. It just depends on who approaches it with what agenda. Some see humanity, some see potential for emotional manipulation. In this regard, sadly, it is no different from any other major event.

Hi, Your post has been removed because there is no proof with the post that connects your identity to the IAmA. Here's a link to the section of our wiki that discusses proof. Please let us know when the proof has been added by replying here and we'll put the post back up.

I just put up two photos on my website and on my facebook https://www.facebook.com/dmytro.doblevych

Photo of me in the seat of a WTC crane operator. WTC not seen, but you can link my face to my facebook http://doblevych.com/images/about/writing/groundzero/2001-09-15_wtc_crane.jpg

Photo linking me to the photo in crane operator seat (logo on my hardhat, the black breathing mask with purple filters, the unique jacket (it's a hunting jacket bought at Walmart, not a municipal worker's jacket)) http://doblevych.com/images/about/writing/groundzero/2001-09-15_wtc_fulton.jpg

These are excellent, thank you. Can you add the links to these photos to your main post? I will put it back up.

I have added the links. Thank you Sir. Appreciate your service.

Hi moderators, hopefully this works as a proof. https://www.facebook.com/dmytro.doblevych

Why did building 7 collapse?

I don't know, but here is another WTC 7 angle I snapped http://doblevych.com/images/about/writing/groundzero/groundzero_7wtc_800x600.jpg

This.

Also, from how far away could you feel the red-hot subsurface temps radiating?

Not sure what you're referring to, I didn't feel any red-hot subsurface radiating.