NYC-WTC_000230565

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document NEWSDAY, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2001 Fire Dept. still answers the call By Witliam Murphy STAFF WRITER . The man who now runs the Fire Department's day-to-day operations looked nervous yesterday os he explained how he would manage a department split between two tough jobs. . One of those jobs is making sure that everything is being done in the search for the more than 300 fire- fighters missing in the World Trade Center terror at- tack, . But with alarm bells still ringing for the latest emergencies, Chief of Operations Salvatore Cassana, 56, soid he and the other commanders had to draw a fine line between responding to the city’s greatest ca- lamity und its duily needs. “Thig ia a Fire Department that responds to the Warld Trade Center,” aaid Caagans, who jomed department in 1949. “We also have to be able to pro- vide coverage to the City of New York.” Cassano spoke as he sat in an empty office in fire headquarters at the MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn — 8 space that looked like an insurance of- Ice, He said one of the biggest shocks in trying to get the departrnent back on its feet was the destruction of so many fire trucks and sedans that were rushed to the scene and demolished in the collapse. “We had about 30 pieces of apparatus destroyed at the scene,” he said. “We don't have 30 spare appara- tus.” Downetaira, department workers scanned job ap- plications and began the tedious chore of checking the backgrounds of those on the civil service list for firefighter, The department expects to rush a new class of recruits into the training academy to fill its ranks, - The cubiclea and private offices in the depart- ment's headquarters were furnished in pale tan, with industrial carpeting and tight office apace for the bosses. But it was far from the average office. Workers could be heard talking in hushed tones about the fire- fighters who died or were presumed dead. “Have you heard about Frank?” one woman asked on the telephone. “] think Tom is missing,” a man farther down the hall said. Scores of retired firefighters have returned to the tight-knit department te help out. Tn a room in 4 far corner of one floor, five superior officera in white shirts sat around a table where they made the grim decision of whether a colleague was of- ficially dead or officially missing. For Rescuers, Free Services for the Asking’ the - GSTONEST EIROFATHE "We insist on dignity in this,” Battalion Chief Steven O'Donnell said. The family or nearest rela-. tive of every deceased member of the department who lives in the five boroughs has been officially noti- fied by a team of firefighters, always ied by an officer and always in peraon, For those who lived farther away, the department relied on some of its old-timers — chiefs of varyin rank who squeezed into their old uniforms an showed up for work. There was no Jack of volunteers. Former firefighter Jerry Sanford was up from Flor- ida, helping out by fielding media requests, but he could not be reached yesterday. He had been pulled away to help aut at the citywide command center. Frank Martinez, once the department’s chief apokeaman, was sitting in a cublele anawering the telephone and telling the media that much of what they wanted to know could not be answered right now, : Retired Battalion Chief Henry McDonald of Breezy Point was a hit unsure of what he was doing, but he was helping. online at www .commuter- Newadsy Phata /Mayile Mendes. Retired Battalion Chie! Henry McDonald sits In the office of First Deputy Fire Commissioner Witllam Fachan, who was killad In the World Trade Center attack. McDonald Is ona of many ralired firefighters who hes returned ta help. McDonald waa sitting in the office of the new first deputy fire commissioner, Michael Regan, who has been appointed to fill the slot left by William Fee. han, the first deputy commissioner who died in the attack. Regan, the depertment’s spokesman before he went to work for City Council Speaker Peter Val- lone, is now the second highest-ranking official after Fire Commissioner Tom Von Essen. Former Deputy. Assistant Chief Gua Reinhold saw the Trade Center attack on television, but did: nat rush back to his old job right away. : “I couldn't do anything, 1 was parulyzed,” Reinhold said yesterday before walking out of his borrowed of- fice in department headquarters. In the hallway, he fingered the pictures of these who over the years have held the rank of chief of de- partment. They included Feehan and Peter Ganei, of North Massapequa, who was alao killed in the attack. The picture of the new chiefof department, Danie] Nigro, ad not yet been hung. Von Essen and Police Commissioner By Merle English STAFF WRITER : . From plastic surgery to temporary housing to transportation to vacations, individuals and organizations are offer- ing their skills, resources and services free to reseue workers, survivors and others affected by the World Trade Center catastrophe. People who suffered skin abrasions, cuts and scars from glass and other de- bris cnn get corrective surgery from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. The society haa 2,400 mem- bers across the country. For referrals to board-certified der- matologie aurgeons, call the society's Consumer Hotline, 890-441-2727 dur- ng business hours or visit its Web site 1 at www.aboutskinsurgery com. A Manhattan group called New NYC-WTC_000230565 Yorkers Help has started a registry for people from out of town who need a place to stay. One of the organizers, Joe Fox, a documentary film producer, ‘anid there are people in the city who are willing to open their homes to fami- lies. Cal] 212-721-0039, or go to www. geocities.com/newyorker- shelp/NOW. htol. The Taxi and Limousine Commis- sion is setting up temporary taxi stands at Manhatten hospitals and Blood Banks to provide rides within Manhattan on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call 718-267-4567 for details. Using its ride-matching system, CurmmmuterLink, a nonprofit corpora- tion, is organizing personalized, door-to-door mags transit itineraries and carpool information. Anyone com- muting into the five boroughs cen : eh TBS a! 4 bine ‘ apply link.com or call 866-NY-COMMUTE, A special support and counseling ses- sion for city police and firefighters will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Hotel Olcott at 27 W. 72nd St. The Counseling & Critical Incident De- briefing Center and Alita Buzel, a state certified clinical psychologist, are co-sponsoring the session. Call 212-721-7928. . Firefighters, police officers und EMS workers weary from their toila at Ground Zero are being offered compli- mentary hotel stays for respite on the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. The St. Kitts & Nevis Hotel Associa- tion and the St. Kitts Ministry of Tour- ism sent letters to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Fire Commissioner Thomas Bernard Kerik inviting all rescue work- ers, The offer ia valid through Decem- ber 2002, Reacue workers should contact the St. Kitts Tourism Authority at 800-582-6208, or by e-mail at inin@st- kittatourism.kn. Dr. Gerald Deas, a Whitestone inter- nist, ia offering help to people other than health personne] who are in- volved with the rescue effort at Ground Zero. The shock of seeing a dis- membered body can cause nightmares for years, and drug and alcohol sbuse, said Deas, who worked with anthropol- ogists and pathologists in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Deas can be reached at his office at the State University of New Yong. Heelth Science Center at Brooklyn, 718-270-4735. CITY 21MC100_008016604