New York Commander speaks to capacity crowd

Richard Picciotto, commander for the New York Fire Department, describes what it was like to be in the North Tower of the World Trade Center as the South Tower collasped. A few hundred people attended the speech.

Richard Picciotto, commander for the New York Fire Department, describes what it was like to be in the North Tower of the World Trade Center as the South Tower collasped. A few hundred people attended the speech.

Only at sporting events on campus do so many students, faculty and members of the community usually show up for a Missouri Southern function.

One whole side of the gym in Leggett & Platt was packed with people who came to hear FDNY Battalion Commander Richard Picciotto give his account of Sept. 11, 2001.

Many policemen and firemen who serve in the Joplin area also showed up to listen to Picciotto, including Bill Farr, Missouri State Fire Marshal, who introduced Picciotto.

Farr said it was the “profession, duty and promise” for the firemen of 9/11 to serve during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

“That day is one that will always be remembered by the world,” he said.

Upon approaching the scene unfolding before him on Sept. 11, 2001, Picciotto said he saw “too many people to count” jumping from the WTC buildings.

“I looked up, and it was just horrendous,” he said. “You had to look up, unfortunately, to make sure nobody would land on you.”

When the south tower of the WTC came crashing down, Picciotto said he was inside the north tower on the 35th floor.

He listened as a loud rumbling sound rolled through the building and the tower shook.

“It caused everyone in the building to just freeze,” he said.

After finding out the loud noise was the other tower falling to the ground, he knew everyone, including the firemen, had to evacuate the north tower immediately.

“How many of my friends were in that south tower?” he said was the first thought that went through his mind.

He managed to get down to the sixth floor when a louder rumbling began. He said everything went black and the floor disintegrated underneath him. The north tower was falling with him still inside.

“The building came down in eight seconds … the longest and shortest eight seconds of my life,” he said.

He was trapped inside a stairwell with several other firefighters until they managed to work their way out.

Shawn Thompson, resident of Joplin, said he went to the lecture to “get the details you didn’t hear from the news media.”

“It was incredibly interesting, moving,” said Beth Meeker, senior English major.

She decided to attend because she thought it was a great chance to hear a firsthand account of Sept. 11.

“This is the only opportunity I’ll ever have to hear somebody who lived through such a horrific event,” Meeker said.