Author: Mike Colon

Part 2 of our ongoing interview series on Facets of Fire Command features Chief of Department James O’Brien, who in his 31 years in the fire service, has been an officer for 23 of them. Serving as a Lieutenant from 2001-2007, and Chief of Department from 2007 until the present day. Here are some memorable moments and incidents he can recall from his lengthy career.

We recently sat down and profiled Deputy Chief of Administration William Johnson, the current longest serving member of our department, as part of an ongoing project highlighting both command principles and the careers and experiences of our fire officers. In a near four decade career, what are the fires and emergencies that most stand out? Listen here as he shares.

On September 11, 2001, Mickey Kross, was a 25-year veteran Lieutenant of the FDNY assigned to Engine Company 16 in Midtown Manhattan when his company would be dispatched to the World Trade Center. Responding to the North Tower, they’d ascended as high as the 20th floor when the adjacent South Tower collapsed, forcing all remaining emergency workers to evacuate. Descending, Lt. Kross had reached the 3rd floor when the North Tower began to collapse as well. In what’s since become known as the Miracle of Stairway B, Lt. Kross along with several other firefighters survived. Now a resident of West Haven, Lt. Kross sat down for an extended interview with Center District Digital Media Specialist Mike Colón. This is his story.

On September 11, 2001, a vicious attack occurred on America. The Pentagon in Washington, DC and the World Trade Center in New York City both struck by airliners hijacked by terrorists. The Pentagon heavily damaged, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center destroyed, collapsing as a result of their being struck by the hijacked aircraft. In the end 2,977 innocent people would perish in this attack. Among those killed, were over 400 emergency responders, including 71 police officers and federal agents and 343 firefighters. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, members of the West Haven Fire Department responded to the World Trade Center to assist with the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. This is their story.