Written by Annabel Gell & Kayla Wasserman
Peter Wasserman served for twenty years as a firefighter, dedicating his life to helping others. Wasserman, the father of SUNY Cortland freshman Kayla Wasserman, had been on the job for ten years on Sept. 11, 2001, a day that forever changed the nation and his life.
“My life had been in danger in many situations. On one occasion I was almost killed, almost burned to death,” Wasserman said. “I knew I was well trained and knowing that you’re well trained calms you down.”
That morning, Peter was at home in New York City when he saw a video footage of the plane hitting the first tower. He immediately turned on the television, knowing the severity of the situation.
“As soon as I saw the plane hit the tower, I knew it was terrorism,” Wasserman said.
Wasserman wasted no time in getting to the scene. Wasserman was picked up in the fire truck and was on his way to the firehouse when the second tower was hit.
“I knew there would be a lot of death and destruction down at Ground Zero. But it’s my job. And that’s what I signed up to do.”
Just like emergency personnel, firefighters are trained to assess the scene before doing anything else. They need to quickly evaluate the situation to understand the gravity of the incident. This one was like no other that they had ever seen before.
Wasserman said he immediately knew how serious the event was but remaining calm under pressure was the difference between life and death. Firefighters are constantly surrounded by chaos, stress, and destruction, making the ability to stay calm and focused vital to their success. In the middle of a situation like 9/11, having composure allows for quick lifesaving decisions to be made, and the firefighters’ first priority that day was to save the lives that were stuck in the tower.
“Life is always first,” said Wasserman. “We already knew the property was destroyed. Life was our only concern, and panic and fear does nobody any good.”
343 firefighters died in the efforts to save lives on 9/11. This was the largest number of fatalities among emergency response agencies in history. It was a terrifying day for people all around and while civilians were running away from the burning buildings, first responders were running towards them.
“The hardest part was knowing that I lost many of my friends that day,” said Wasserman.
Many 9/11 firefighters still face both mental and physical health struggles to this day. The toxic dust and debris from the towers collapsing caused several health issues for people on Ground Zero.
“Most of the people that I know are struggling from respiratory illnesses from the smoke, sinus problems, lung problems, esophageal problems, and there is a myriad of cancers that have popped up that are not in line with the cancers of everyday life,” Wasserman said.
9/11 was different from any other fire that firefighters have faced, the scale of destruction was immense and changed people’s lives forever. Despite the tragedy, these men and women put their lives on the line for others and should be proud of themselves at any capacity.
“I feel proud that I knew my health would be compromised in the future, but I still did what I had to do along with many other firefighters, first responders, and military as well,” said Wasserman.
For Wasserman, the lessons he took away from that day go beyond sacrifice and bravery, they changed his perspective on life. “Live life every day,” he said. “You never know when it’s your last day.”