Former Fire Chief Looks Back on 9/11

It's been 10 years since Islamic terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, causing a historic loss of life while simultaneously showing the world that even a super-power can be vulnerable. 

While our enemies abroad cheered in the streets and burned the American flag, our nation quickly united--rallying around reports of heroism and bravery on the part of the Fire Department of New York and other emergency responders.

For Scott McMaster, a former fire chief for the Upper Salford Fire Company, it was a day he'll never forget.

"I remember sitting in traffic on my way to work, and I looked up at the sky amazed that it was so clear," said McMaster.  "It was really a beautiful morning."

Once McMaster began his morning meeting, his boss entered the room and whispered in his ear that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.

"I thought it was odd, but not much beyond that," said McMaster.  "A few minutes later, he came back in and said 'Scottie, a second plane just hit the other tower. I think we're at war.'"

The meeting abruptly ended, as the pharmaceutical company McMaster works for went into "lockdown mode." Concerns arose about their Northern New Jersey location, and almost immediately the phone lines were flooded with calls for help.

"We started receiving requests for assistance--respirators, safety equipment, and some tech support," said McMaster. "We helped load everything for the guys who were heading up to the site of the attacks."

Afterwards, McMaster left work to head back to his fire company to see how they could help.

"There was this uneasiness, as everyone was trying to figure out what to do," said McMaster. "We knew many of our fellow fire companies were sending people up there, so we helped locally by giving them materials and equipment prior to their departure."

When asked to comment on the actions of the members of the FDNY, McMaster had nothing but praise.

"They did what they were trained to do," said McMaster.  "They were concerned with getting people out of the facility, as well as trying to save the facility itself."

"They saved thousands of lives that would have been lost had they not arrived when they did," added McMaster.  "Unfortunately, things ended up the way they did. It still hurts to this very day."

As crews began search and rescue missions at ground zero, the Upper Salford Fire Company became inundated with a new threat--anthrax.

"When we got into late September and October, there were a lot of anthrax scares," said McMaster.  I'll never forget the month of October 2001 because every time someone saw white powder, we had to respond along with county hazmat."

"At one point, a person had opened a box of tissues and saw a white substance," added McMaster.  "We all deployed, but it was nothing.  The reality was that people were still scared, and most of what we ended up doing in the wake of September 11 was simply to help put people at ease."

McMaster plans on taking his first trip to ground zero in the next few weeks, though he cautioned that it would be extremely emotional to stand where 343 of his brothers had died. He has visited and the Pentagon, and he's made multiple visits to the site of the United Flight 93 crash site.

"I've been to Shanksville three times now," said McMaster.  "One of the guys I worked with had a close friend on flight 93, so when I saw the site--it was emotional.  Everyone of them thought about the others before themselves."

McMaster urges people to visit the sites of the attacks in person, to get a feel for the magnitude and sacrifice.

"It's important that we never forget what happened that day."

See more stories and snapshots about September 11.