9/11/01 FDNY Manhattan Dispatch Audio - FULL

Released audio recording from 9/11/01 of FDNY Manhattan borough fire dispatch mixer during the World Trade Center terrorist attack. I tried to normalize the audio since the dispatcher side of the mixer had very low volume. I was shocked that I couldn't find this file on YouTube. This is roughly 4 hours long. I removed the last 40 minutes of audio due to the volume being too low to hear anything, even with processing.

Remember to honor the 343 firefighters who gave their lives that day while saving others.

[TheRubberStudiosASMR]

So weird. I dip in and out every few years becoming fascinated by this event. How it unfolded still gives me chills.I can't imagine what these guys went through.

[alphamedicmres]

343 firefighters
60 police officers
8 paramedics
Thank you

[dmartins]

02:10 Battalion 1 Chief Pfeifer notifies dispatch that the plane appeared to be aiming for the tower.
03:00 SQUAD 18 request Manhattan alert all units possible terrorism event based off Battalion 1’s report.
12:05 Dispatch is notified of people beginning to jump from WTC.
17:02 Dispatch is notified of a 2nd aircraft striking the second tower.
18:07 Marine 6 described jet as a “large bomber-style green/grey aircraft.” (Viewing from an FDNY fire boat in New York Harbor)
45:28 Dispatch: “Port Authority reports the elevators are about to come down. All companies operating in number 1 & number 2 World Trade Center do not use the elevators they are about to come down as per Port Authority. Field Comm receive that urgent?”
1:12:28 Dispatch is notified the South Tower has collapsed.
1:13:30 Marine 6 transmits an urgent to Manhattan dispatch, “Tower 2 had a major explosion and a complete collapse.”
1:15:23 Civilian transmits over radio that he seeked shelter in a fire apparatus as the tower collapsed and is trapped and can’t breathe.
1:17:19 Frantic FDNY units request the US Army be mobilized in Manhattan.
1:19:00 Dispatch: "Manhattan to any unit at number 2 World Trade Center urgent” Silence...
1:41:43 Dispatch is notified the North Tower has collapsed.
02:00:55 Engine 24 transmits the first mayday and reports firefighters trapped in the promenade of the Towers.

[DavidZetino]

00:50 Flight 11 crash WTC1
12:07 Jumpers alert
17:01 Flight 175 Crash into WTC2
1:11:30 last transmission before collapse
1:12:20 WTC2 Collapse
1:15:00 Civillian trapped in firetruck call for help
1:17:18 Call for the army
1:19:01 Dispatcher calls unit on tower 2, no answer
1:20:00 Batallion 1 Engine 221 sent to find chief.
1:21:00 Ladder 124 arrives to scene
1:25:00 Ladder 23 and marine 3 calls
1:26:51 Marine 9 makes themself available
1:29:00 Dispacher advise west side hwy and 7th av is open.
1:31:16 "Any unit on wtc2?" no answer
1:32:08 E228 call to assis trapped firefithers on Marriot hotel
1:35:20 Call to command center to set a relay "numerous trapped"
1:39:30 "we need all the help we can get"
1:41:40 WTC1 Collapse
1:43:00 No more command unit structure
1:46:51 "heart attacked victim" belived to be Father Michal Judge

I'll be updating this list with more details.

[chuckwood]

This dispatcher is unbelievable. So calm, organized and professional in an impossible situation. Bravo!

[mjay]

As a current 911 dispatcher, this dispatcher is who we all strive to be.

[frankietheth]

My father wasn't even supposed to work that day. He just happened to be in the city. And when he found out he went to work to dispatch. I was only 6 when this happened and my mom said when he came home, he just sat in silence. I can't imagine how he and everyone else felt at the time. I will always have respect for the FDNY and all firemen around the world.

[emerydavis]

"They're not heroes because of Septmber 11th, they were heroes when they raised their right in front of the mayor when they joined the Fire Department." Paul Hashagen, Rescue 1 FDNY

[craigr]

It has been 19 years since this happened, it never gets any easier to listen to. But I’ll be dammed if I ever forget.

[ataka]

The sounds at 1:12:27 and 1:41:43 of the radios transmitting under the pressure of the collapse is haunting. Rest in Peace to the 344 fire personnel who were lost that day and those who lost their lives later on to 9/11 related illnesses..

[traceyrodenbach]

John Lightsey- the undisputed king of dispatchers on that day. Still gives me chills to hear the radios keying during the collapses. Almost 20 years, and it still brings tears.

[jadasantatv]

“We need the army in Manhattan”
Damn you hear the fear in his voice

[stustuart]

I'm a former firefighter and fire dispatcher. It's now July 2022 and this is the first time I was willing to listen to these tapes. Still horrifying me. And I have so much respect for the professional job done by the personnel in the communications centers. And what a very sad loss of personnel and civilians.

[JHebertSide]

9/11 audio important timestamps

00:42 Flight 11 Crashes into WTC1
03:00 Firefighters dispatch suspicions of it being a terrorist act
03:30 Firefighter demands every ambulance into WTC
05:30 Debris Injured People on West Street need EMT’s
06:48 Brooklyn Joins the Fight with Manhattan at Battery Park
08:07 Marine 1 Joins the Fight with Brooklyn & Manhattan on the River for Water Supply
12:01 Jumpers Alert
13:07 “How Many Rescues We Got” Main Dispatcher says “3” and the fireman says “Okay. I need ALL but ONE of them here” (WTC)
13:42 Marine 1 Advises Fire from the North & West Side of WTC1
14:32 Marine 6 Confirms Fire From East Side of WTC1
14:51 Calls to NYFD from 911 advising numerous people trapped on multiple floors
17:01 Flight 175 Crashes Into WTC2
17:43 Reports of People Trapped in 83rd Floor of WTC2
20:51 Division 3 Relay’s Message about considering for recall of all off duty firefighters to arrive at the scene of both WTC 1 & 2
22:17 “All Units Arriving On The Scene Need To Bring All (I Think it Says) STBA Bottles into the towers (I believe these are oxygen bottles)
25:10 All Units Coming From West Street or Liberty Street Need To Stop Short of the Scene Due to Debris Either North Or South
30:30 Reports of more floors of people trapped on multiple floors of WTC1
32:23 Reports of Infernos but hard to hear if it was in the Towers or from Debris from the towers. All I heard was Financial District Building, someone let me know.
36:34 Urgent Message from Field Com of people trapped in Floor 103 in WTC1 and numerous people from floor 35 coming down injured badly from burns into stairwell of WTC1
38:31 People Trapped on 102 and 103 Floor from Brooklyn Dispatch
42:22 Multiple floors of people trapped in WTC2
43:07 All Off Duty Firefighters And Officers Are Now Called Into Duty into WTC Immediately
45:07 Elevators from the 44th Floor of one of the WTC are not to be used and are coming down
56:41 Report of Man Hanging from Antenna of WTC1
1:01:02 Floor 104 of WTC1 People trapped
1:02:18 Floor 80 of WTC2 has people trapped
1:06:10 Floor 100 Northwest Conference Room has people trapped in WTC2
1:08:57 More Reports of More Rooms in both towers of people trapped
1:10:57 Firefighter Down
1:11:28 Last transmission before collapse of WTC2
1:12:20 WTC2 Collapse
1:15:00 Civilian is trapped in a firetruck
1:17:18 Call for the Army
1:19:01 Dispatcher calls any unit on WTC2, no answer
1:19:21 Ladder 15 finally answers call about Tower 2 and is told by dispatcher to find the nearest chief
1:21:04 Possible Debris Crushing Firefighters as it triggers working radios in the collapse to activate
1:21:56 Command Post being moved onto West Street
1:25:00 Ladder 23 and Marine 3 Calls
1:28:32 Dispatcher advises that West Side Highway and 7th Avenue are open, so advises all units to travel down those areas to the scene
1:31:26 “Any unit on WTC2, Urgent.” No answer
1:32:13 E228 calls to assist firefighters trapped in Marriot Hotel
1:35:11 Call to command center to send a relay “numerous trapped”
1:39:25 “We need all the help we can get”
1:41:40 WTC1 Collapse
1:43:05 No more command unit structure
1:43:45 “Any division or any staff chief at the scene of the World Trade Centers, K” No answer
1:45:44 Multiple EMS and Firefighters come in from the Hudson River
1:46:35 “Heart attack victim” believed to be Father Judge
1:54:18 New Division One comes into the scene with a shocked voice as it’s nothing but smoke and shattered debris from the two towers
1:55:10 More Radio signals with awful sounds, someone trying to radio in from the wreckage of WTC2 and it’s Division 6 Acting Division 1
2:00:59 Engine 24 transmits the first mayday and reports firefighters in the promenade between the two towers
2:04:52 Old Division 1 tries to reach to FDNY
2:05:56 Another firefighter reaches from underneath the ruble sounding groggy and hurt, multiple people trapped in West Side of WTC1
2:06:54 Battalion 1 Reaches FDNY
2:09:06 “Please it’s urgent” it was someone from Marine 6 Captain Fuentes saying he was pinned in a piece of apparatus
2:12:16 Calls division one and someone tries to respond, but bad signal
2:13:55 After minutes of trying to establish a signal, someone finally gets one, it’s Captain Fuentes again trying to establish there’s more firefighters trapped in debris of the World Trade Center
2:23:44 “Urgent, I’m trapped here from the previous collapse” Another urgent of WTC1 on the rear side
2:24:30 Another firefighter trapped under a beam and radios for help from the wreckage, not sure who (someone lmk)
2:30:44 “Urgent, I got a trapped firefighter” It’s the Captain on the West Side and they found exactly where they all are.
2:31:32 A captain Commandeered a city bus with 18 men and 3 officers with tools to help dig out people from the rubble
2:34:04 Worried about Possible Bomb in the Battery Tunnel
2:43:32 Struggle to find primary command post at the wreckage ends “Westin Chambers Street” is the primary (could have butchered this spelling in the quotes)
2:45:22 Firefighters come off of buses and wait to be assigned to post and medical officers arrive at the collapse sight

2:48:07 Firefighters off buses go to Primary Post and are told to go meet them from the north
2:49:41 Battalion 13 Arrives with more firefighters to help
2:51:27 Gas leak reported at a High School near the WTC wreckage
2:54:27 First argument arises in this stressful situation for the dispatcher, honestly surprised he kept his cool as long as he did
2:57:07 Reports of multiple people trapped in the debris come in
3:03:45 Even more firefighters get ready to help on standby at various standby posts around the NY area, people trapped in the laundry room on one of the surrounding WTC towers
3:05:32 Urgent call doesn’t go through and is reported there’s an urgent call… assumption here but this might be that weird and haunting frequency you hear after WTC2 collapsed, whoever that is
3:17:08 Firefighters start putting out fires from wreckage of nearby buildings
3:44:50 All Clear on an old Bomb Threat
3:48:44 Command Post asks if we can make strides to organize a search party
3:49:54 Gas smell in Battery Tunnel
3:52:29 30 to 60 unconfirmed Firefighters trapped in debris from WTC collapse
3:55:20 Firefighters trapped under debris and danger of the rest of what’s left of WTC1 Collapsing in on firefighters stuck, also reports of WTC buildings 4 and 7 in danger of collapsing

These are the real hero’s, the firefighters on that day. Never forget.

[drewhoughtaling]

As a fireman, I can really appreciate how good the communication was with all parties. Seriously the first 3 minutes is a master class in professionalism on how to deal with an extremely dangerous situation that no one at the time had dealt with before.

Hats off to FDNY, proving why they are one of the best in the world.

[ryanlove]

11:09 Car 3 fire chief Peter Ganci responding to the scene from the Brooklyn Bridge. Pete was a highly decorated firefighter of the FDNY being a firefighter for 33 years from 1968 to his untimely death Ganci work his way up to become one of the most respected firefighters of New York he never would give up on himself or his fellow firemen if some of his fellow firemen were trapped inside a burning building Ganci would go and save his men by himself. Ganci was awarded the FDNY’s Medal of Valor for saving a little girl who was trapped in a burning apartment building and was about to die Ganci went into the burning building on his hands and knees and getting that girl to safety before tragedy struck that was the type of man that Pete Ganci was and on 9/11 Ganci did the thing he was known for and that is saving his men on his own after the south tower collapse he went into the north tower to find and save many of his men’s lives he can without turning back Ganci would die in the collapse of the north tower he was just 54 years old he made had died a hero but his legacy and his spirit will live on forever! Rest in peace Chief Ganci you were one brave soul. Peter James Ganci Jr 1946-2001 🙏🇺🇸

[meesh]

The things you stumble upon during quarantine

[Deezbombz]

This guy was the best, calmest, and most professional at the worst time. ..STANDING OVATION.

[bryang]

John Lightsey is the dispatcher. He did go home for 4 days following the attacks. He later went down to ground zero to help assist in the search.

[TheAworley]

I had been a dispatcher 1.5 years when this happened- I was called in - every dispatch center in America erupted. This dispatcher is every dispatchers #goal. Hats off to you sir! I listen to this full dispatch radio traffic every single year! Ps: I’m still a dispatcher today. Over 20 yrs now. #NeverForget