NEW SERIES: Beyond the Call With Kissimmee Fire Chief Jim Walls — 25 Years Later, Remembering September 11 and a Promise to Never Forget

In just a few weeks we will be commemorating the 25-year anniversary of September 11, 2001. During the events of that horrific morning, from the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Shanksville 2,977 people lost their lives. The fire service was tremendously impacted that morning as 343 FDNY firefighters and one member of the New York Fire Patrol paid the ultimate sacrifice that morning. Doing what firefighters have always done-run towards the danger when others are running away from it. We have all seen those images-FDNY’s bravest heading up those stairs. Many had that look like they knew they might not make it back.

The morning of September 11^, 2001, in Kissimmee was like any typical morning, blue skies and weather not to hot. I was almost 14 years into my career with the Kissimmee Fire Department and celebrating my first year of being promoted to fire lieutenant. I was assigned to Station 1, Quint 1 on B-shift. Our 24-hour shift on September 10, 2001, was an unremarkable one. That morning, we did what we always do. Up at 0630, make sure that the station, apparatus, and equipment were clean and ready to be turned over to C-shift at 0730. Pass on was given to the on-coming shift and for most assigned to B-shift it was time to head home.

For several of us though we had signed up to take part in a multi-jurisdictional exercise. This exercise had been planned well over six months prior to this morning. When conducting training of this magnitude involving many local, state, and federal agencies it takes well thought out coordination to make the training exercise a success. The agencies represented that morning included members of the Orlando International Airport (OIA), Kissimmee police and fire departments, Osceola County fire rescue and sheriffs’ office, St Cloud fire rescue, Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). I’m sure there were other agencies involved as well.

So, in an ironic twist of fate, under a clear blue sky on the morning of September 11, 2001, multiple agencies had gathered near a large open field southwest of 17-92 and Pleasant Hill Road to participate in a training exercise. This exercise was to involve an airplane that had just taken off from OIA, declared a state of emergency shortly after take-off and then crash landed in that field just south of the city limits. The exercise was meant to test our abilities to respond to a large-scale incident, downed airplane, multiple casualties with transports to local hospitals, hazardous materials, mutual aid involving various fire departments, law enforcement, and emergency management.

All units to include fire engines, fire rescue units, police and sheriff cars, hazmat team, incident command staff vehicles were all staged alongside Pleasant Hill Road waiting for the exercise to commence. I was assigned to an EMS staff vehicle, and our assignment was going to be to assist with establishing a triage, treatment, and transport area. From where we were staged, we could see a portion of a large, steel (simulated) plane that would be used for the exercise. There was also a portable air traffic control tower (ATC) that had been brought on sight.

As we waited in staging, I recall a lot of us wondering what was taking so long to start the exercise. At some point shortly thereafter, we saw several of the evaluators running towards the ATC. In this time before cell phones and the internet are at your fingertips, we had no idea what was happening. Several of us left staging and made our way over to the ATC. They had a television on, and this was the first time we had heard that a plane had collided with one of the World Trade Center buildings. We all stood there frozen in place watching the incident when we saw the second plane hit the other WTC building and realized that this was a terrorist incident. It was at this point and I’ll never forget, the sound of all the pagers from those from the FAA and NTSB personnel going off at about the same time. Within 15 to 30 minutes, they had all been recalled and were gone.

Obviously, the training was cancelled, and we were all told to return to our respective jurisdictions. We returned to Station 1 and found out that the city had hired overtime to staff one additional engine for that day because at that point no one was sure how far this terrorism would spread. The OT crew was selected and those not hired were sent home.

As I got home to an empty house (my wife was working and kids in school) I sat and watched in horror as first the first and then the second building collapsed. As with the pagers I described earlier, I will never forget the sound of hearing multiple personal alert safety system (PASS) devices all sounding at one time. These PASS devices deliver a loud shrill noise if a firefighter lies motionless for longer than 20 seconds. We all knew at that moment that many FDNY firefighters were never going to see or hold their loved ones ever again. Like most Americans that morning, I sat there numb, angry and in complete disbelief!

In the 25 years since that dreadful day, over 370 FDNY firefighters have died from health-related illnesses they received from working the pile in the immediate aftermath.  I still recall these events as if they happened last week. Unfortunately, it seems (to me) that many have forgotten how we all felt that morning. For a time, we were all united, as Americans comforting and supporting one another. Today that unity has gone and we are divided as a nation.

It is my hope that on this upcoming September 11, 2026, everyone will take a moment that morning to reflect on that day and the sacrifices made. Perhaps we can recapture that feeling, even if for just a moment, that feeling of unity and togetherness as Americans! Those who perished that day deserve no less!