9/11 Emergency Calls Transcripts

N E W   Y O R K , Aug. 28, 2003 -- Authorities have released transcripts of the final conversations of 33 Port Authority employees who were inside the World Trade Center during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that collapsed the twin towers and killed nearly 3,000 people.

The transcripts, about 2,000 pages worth, were created from tapes of emergency calls and radio transmissions made after hijacked planes were slammed into the twin towers.

A spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owned the buildings, says some of the victims identified themselves by name on the tape. Others' voices were recognized by co-workers.

Some surviving family members are angered or upset by the impending release, while others believe the transcripts can provide valuable insight into the tragedy.

In all, the Port Authority lost 37 police officers and 47 civilian employees in the attack. In addition to the Port Authority workers, three other people are also heard in those calls.

Excerpts of some of the calls follow. They are broken down according to emergency and communication channels.

WTC Ch. 07 MALE: Either … either a plane crashed into the Trade Center, or a rocket hit the Trade Center. And, uh, people are all over the place, dead.

…MALE A: The first one they think was a guy shooting the missiles off the Woolworth Building. And the second one they think is an airplane that was circling to watch it, and hit the World Trade. FEMALE: Oh, man. And both towers are hit? MALE A: Both towers. So I ain't going home for awhile. I don't know what you want to do, son …

WTC Ch. 09PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER MAGGETT: Port Authority Police [person's name]MALE - 78TH FLOOR 1WTC: Yes, uh, we're on the 78th floor, at Hundai Securities. Do we need to evacuate or not? POLICE OFFICER MAGGETT: Right away. MALE - 78TH FLOOR 1WTC: Right now? POLICE OFFICER MAGGETT: Right away. MALE - 78TH FLOOR 1WTC: OK, which stairs do we take? POLICE OFFICER MAGGETT: Uh, whichever is the easiest one nearest without too much smoke and everything. Try to get the best way down. MALE - 78TH FLOOR 1WTC: Well, there's … the hallways are full … full of smoke. POLICE OFFICER MAGGETT: OK. If you could find your way down one … MALE -78TH FLOOR 1WTC: OK, get out right now, right? POLICE OFFICER MAGGETT: Right. Right, exactly. MALE - 78TH FLOOR 1WTC: OK, bye.

WTC Ch. 10[Note: Police Officer Ray Murray survived the attacks]PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER RAY MURRAY: Port Authority Police, Murray.INSPECTOR: Murray, Inspector, talk to me. PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER MURRAY: Uh, we … we don't have all the information yet, Inspector. We have an explosion on one of the top floors. We don't know if it's an aircraft. We don't know if it's a bomb. We have, um, multiple injuries, we are doing an evacuation of the building. We mobilized everybody in the … in all commands.INSPECTOR: OK, very good. Uh … all right, thanks.PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER MURRAY: OK.INSPECTOR: Murray? PAPD RAY MURRAY: Yeah? INSPECTOR: One more question. Why do you think it might be an airplane?PAPD RAY MURRAY: Uh, that's what one of the units, uh, said over the air. That's all. That's the only reason I say that. INSPECTOR: On the … on the upper floors of the … One World Trade? PAPD RAY MURRAY: Number one, World Trade Center.INSPECTOR: Multiple injuries, right? PAPD RAY MURRAY: Yeah, we have, uh, a lot … there's a lot of smoke. People, are calling, they … they can't find the stairs. INSPECTOR: Very good, thank you.PAPD RAY MURRAY: OK. (Overlap)INSPECTOR: Bye.

… A PERSON CALLING FROM WINDOWS ON THE WORLD: Hi, this is [person's name], from Windows on the World on the 106th floor. The situation on 106 is rapidly getting worse. POLICE OFFICER RAY MURRAY (To people in the background): I got a fourth call from Windows on the World, it's getting rapidly worse up there. WINDOWS ON THE WORLD: We … we have … the fresh air is going down fast! I'm not exaggerating. POLICE OFFICER RAY MURRAY: Uh, ma'am, I know you're not exaggerating. We're getting a lot of these calls. We are sending the fire department up as soon as possible. I have you, [person's name], four calls, 75 to 100 peopele, Windows on the World, 106th floor. WINDOWS ON THE WORLD: What are we going to do for ai[r]? POLICE OFFICER RAY MURRAY: Ma'am, the fire department … WINDOWS ON THE WORLD: Can we break a window? POLICE OFFICER RAY MURRAY: You can do whatever you have to to get to, uh, the air.WINDOWS ON THE WORLD: All right.

WTC Ch. 13MALE B: I guess the buildings have G-series sprinkler systems so that a fire wouldn't last that long on those floors. It's mostly just black smoke now, no flames. So I'm sure those other flames did, uh, break out. The sprinkler system de-soused them. So they can't have the whole building burn up. MALE A: No, not this kind of structure. Just like that's why it didn't fall from a bomb, and a plane crash, because of the … the infrastructure in the building, because they just put the foundation into it, and they made it, you know, so it can bend. I meean, it's so high, the winds could even knock it over, you know? MALE B: Yeah. MALE A: So they really had to make it have a strong support. MALE B: They said the towers can even stand the blow of a 747. MALE A: Now they're totally (Overlap) MALE B : A direct hit wouldn't knock them down. MALE A: And they get hit by two planes, did they, and a bomb, a couple years back. And they still bent.

WTC Ch. 15 FEMALE: … The whole building is going to coming down on me. (Overlap/Inaudible) FEMALE: The building is starting … coming down (Inaudible) on my right.

…MALE: (Overlap/Inaudible) stand by (Overlap/Inaudible) elevator, they're trying to get them out. We need EMS over here, on the double! Two World Trade Center! FEMALE: (Overlap/Inaudible) elevator (Overlap/Inaudible)MALE: That's a ten-four. The firefighter (Inaudible) units (Inaudible) they are going to try to get them out. MALE: They're trying. MALE: (Overlap/Inaudible)FEMALE: That's a copy. MALE: Get EMS over here quick!

… FEMALE: (Overlap/Inaudible) I have a badly burned lady at the lobby of (Overlap/Inaudible) anyone at 911 … they need an ambulance ASAP, (inaudible) lobby of World Trade (Overlap) building the Broadway side … I keep on calling 911 and they're … I keep on getting a busy signal. MALE: (Overlap/Inaudible) … go … FEMALE: OK, but she's really burned, and I need an ambulance bad. (Overlap/Inaudible) ambulance, building one.

WTC Ch. 27MALE: Listen, please be advised, I've got like 18 passengers stuck on the 78th Sky Lobby elevator. They're trying to get them out, we need EMS over here! ON THE DOUBLE! TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER!!

WTC Ch. 27MALE: Yo, I've got dozens of bodies, people just jumping from the top of the building onto … in front of One World Trade.FEMALE: Sir, you have what jumping from buildings? MALE: People. Bodies are just coming from out of the sky.

…(SHOUTING AND COMMOTION HEARD IN BACKGROUND) MALE: Just hit the building! Another plane hit! (TRANSMISSIONS IN AND OUT) Another plane just hit the building! Move everyone from Liberty Street!

PATH Ch. 019 PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER: There's … this is bad. They got planes all over the radar, coming into the New York area. They think everything is going to start hitting. OFFICER'S MOTHER: Oh … please promise you'll call again!

PATH Ch. 021PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER: We're up at the Trade Center, what do you want us to do? PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER DESK: Respond over to Barclay Street. I know we have the ESU standing by there. That may become a command post. Respond Barclay Street. PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER: Roger. PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER: (Inaudible) … park that truck. PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER: … EMS … (Inaudible) with a broken leg … (Inaudible) broken leg. PORT AUTHORITY POLICE OFFICER DESK: EMS is responding.