The OEM Issued a WTC Collapse Warning

"What's going on?"

"It's gonna fall ... it's gonna explode."

File No. 9110161
WORLD TRADE CENTER TASK FORCE INTERVIEW
EMT RICHARD ZARRILLO
Interview Date: October 25, 2001

...Again, times are a little fuzzy initially for me. A few minutes later, John came to me and said you need to go find Chief Ganci and relay the following message: that the buildings have been compromised, we need to evacuate, they're going to collapse. I said okay. I went down Vesey Street towards West.

Q. You were by yourself?

A. I was by myself, me and my helmet and my radio. I got to the corner of Vesey and West. I found some EMS vehicles. I think I saw Chief Gombo there. I'm not really sure. I mentioned to the EMS people there, again, not knowing who they were, I said you need to get away from here, the building might collapse, we need to leave this spot.

As I was walking towards the Fire command post, I found Steve Mosiello. I said, Steve, where's
the boss? I have to give him a message. He said, well, what's the message? I said the buildings are going to collapse; we need to evac everybody out. With a very confused look he said who told you that? I said I was just with John at OEM. OEM says the buildings are going to collapse; we need to get out.

He escorted me over to Chief Ganci. He said, hey, Pete, we got a message that the buildings are going to collapse. His reply was who the fuck told you that? Then Steve brought me in and with Chief Ganci, Commissioner Feehan, Steve, I believe Chief Turi was initially there, I said, listen, I was just at OEM. The message I was given was that the buildings are going to collapse; we need to get our people out. At that moment, this thunderous, rolling roar came down and that's when the building came down, the first tower came down.

It seems logical that the Office of Emergency Management would warn their boss of the impending collapses, so this would explain how Mayor Giuliani received warning of the collapses.

Richard Sheirer is currently working with Giuliani Partners LLC. Until recently, he was Commissioner of New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Following the September 11th World Trade Center disaster, Mr. Sheirer, in his capacity as Director of the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management, played a key role in overseeing the City’s rescue and recovery operations. [ccep.ca]

How did the OEM know something that firefighters in WTC 2's impact area didn't?

Why weren't all firefighters warned?

Andrew Ansbro, Firefighter:

“I was one of the few firefighters to make it out of the Marriott Hotel before the south tower landed on it and killed most of the people inside,” he recalled. “The cops had a five-minute head start. They received word that the south tower was going to come down and none of us did. ...

"...it's coming over our radio, get out of the area, the second tower's [WTC 2] coming down."

"They're saying the second tower is coming...?"

"Yes, it's about to collapse."

WMV video download (48kB)

9/11 BBC news video showing the rush to get away from WTC 2 before it collapsed. "Get behind the car ... they're waiting for another explosion."

WMV video download (410kB)

... I was looking up. The first warning I got was when the sky turned black. Five seconds later, the room exploded.” [Bay News Brooklyn]

Number of firefighters and paramedics killed: 343. Number of NYPD officers: 23. [nymag.com]

There would have been a severe lack of law enforcement officials in New York in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 if they hadn't received a five minute warning. Think about it.