I would like to ask all FIRET Alumni to pray for all of the 200+ firefighters who are still as of yet unaccounted for from today's tragedy at the World Trade Center.

Like many of you I'm sure, I am struggling for what is the best way to digest what has happened to our country today.  Here are a couple of random thoughts that have entered my mind, and I wanted to share:
I think it is no accident that these terrorists have chosen American Airlines and United to use in carrying out their attack. While it appears they chose coinciding, cross-country flights that would assure a full load of fuel, they are also sending a message with the names, colors, and logos of these airlines.
The other thing may just be a coincidence, but isn't it ironic that this occurred on 9-11?
I support and repeat the suggestions of others that we all pray for our fellow citizens who were victimized, their families, and the brave fire, EMS, and law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

As a human being, I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives due to this heinous act by cowards who would kill innocent men, women and children to further their cause. The acts of war committed by these cowards will forever stand as the ultimate example of the wickedness of mankind.
        As a retired firefighter, I am saddened by the loss of hundreds of my Brothers and Sisters! My sadness; however, is overshadowed by my belief that the sacrifice made by these heroic men and women will, in the end, be recognized as the ultimate example of the potential for kindness, compassion and sacrifice located within each of us. While all of us have the potential to do great things in life, and in death, few of us ever manage to realize this potential. Our Brothers and Sisters who sacrificed their lives in an attempt to save the lives of others, have achieved a greatness that may be equaled, but can never be surpassed.
        The wisest man I have ever known, (my father) once told me that "the days of your life are numbered as are the hairs upon your head, so make the most of each day that you are given."  Believing this to be true, I believe that each of our Brothers and Sisters who perished on 9/11 were predestined to die on that day. Had they not died in the line of duty, they would have
died in some other way. Maybe as the result of a heart attack, or from illness, or at the hands of a drunken driver. None of us can understand why some get more days than others, but that is reality. I also believe that given the choice of dying from natural causes or from accidents, or of sacrificing their lives, trying to save the lives of innocent people, and while doing what they loved to do most, they would all have said, "let me be the first to go in...."
        While we all should be saddened and we all should grieve for our fallen Brothers and Sisters, we all should also REJOICE that they are in Heaven, and that THEY MOST TYPIFY what makes FIREFIGHTERS the most selfless people on earth.

I trust most of you may remember the often unnoticed plaque on the front of Station 2...
The Firefighters of FDNY have shown the entire world why the Firemen's
Creed reads...
                             Men resemble Gods
                            in nothing so much,
                               as doing good
                        for their fellow creatures

Preliminary Information Gathered From Other Sites

-- Twenty-six victims at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. A spokeswoman said "more are expected." Some of the injuries were severe, she said.

-- Seven severely burned victims at the Washington Hospital Center. Six were brought from the Pentagon area by helicopter; one was brought by ambulance. A source said doctors were struggling to save two of the victims who were seriously injured. The hospital has established a triage center outside the building, to assist any firefighters who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals.

-- Two victims -- a mother and her baby -- at George Washington University Hospital. Their injuries were not life-threatening, a doctor said.

-- Ten victims at Alexandria Hospital in Virginia with a variety of head injuries and upper body burns.

-- Three victims being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C. No details were available on their conditions.

-- One male victim in serious condition at Georgetown University Hospital in D.C.   (CNN.com 9/11/01)

American Airlines Flight 11, carrying 81 passengers and 11 crew members, slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan shortly before 9 a.m. About 15 minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles, with 56 passengers and nine crew members on board, crashed into the south tower.

The Boeing 757, an American Airlines flight from Washington to Los Angeles, crashed into the Pentagon Tuesday morning with 64 passengers and crew aboard.

Flight 93 originated in Newark and was bound for San Francisco with 38 passengers, five flight attendants and two pilots when it crashed Tuesday morning in Somerset County, said spokeswoman Jenna Ludgate.

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