Bill Spade

On September 11, 2001, Bill Spade was a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) firefighter assigned to FDNY’s Rescue Company 5, based in Staten Island, New York. He reported for duty early that morning, just before 7:00 AM. Upon getting ready for the day, he received a call from an off-duty fireman who told him that he just saw a plane hit the World Trade Center. Spade immediately called Special Operations Command for the fire department and he began making his way to the site to help.

During his drive, while Spade was watching the Towers in the distance in front of him, he caught a glimpse of a plane coming down along the Hudson River. He watched in disbelief as the plane flew around New York Harbor, turned around the Statue of Liberty, and struck the South Tower. Spade remembers the ball of flame that erupted from it.

As he made his way up West Street, Spade entered the North Tower, looking for a command post. After some time, he began hearing something collapsing from above. Not knowing what it was, he ran over to a corner of the room with the knowledge that corners of rooms are strongest. Spade recalls hugging the standpipe that was in the corner. The noise of the collapse became increasingly more intense until everything went pitch black.

Spade attempted to find a way out, without luck. Civilians were trapped, and he was, too. He tried to make a mayday call over his radio but it was not transmitting. Then two emergency service police officers came down the stairs near Spade and together, they began hitting a door, over and over again, until they were able to open it about two feet. Finally, they, along with civilians, made their way out of the room, and ultimately the building. Only seconds had passed when Spade heard something coming down again. Spade was thrown 40 feet into the air, a cement wall broke his fall. He quickly began getting buried in debris and decided to silently say goodbye to his wife as well as his six-year-old and his two-month-old children.

Spade recalls being buried. He tried to breathe and didn’t have an airway so he put a finger in his mouth to create one. He was able to remove the debris that was on him to stand, and he saw that he was there with three other firefighters.

After about an hour, one of the firefighters thought he had found a way out – and he did. The group navigated to make it down a staircase onto Vesey Street, and to Broadway. An off-duty police officer saw Spade and helped to clean him up.

Later in the day, while Spade was in the emergency room, he received a call from his brother-in-law, Tommy Aiken, who was assigned to Rescue 5 as well. He told Spade that all of the members from Rescue 5 were missing; they were gone. He was later on the phone with his wife, who gave him the heartbreaking news that his uncle, Patrick Joseph Driscoll, was on Flight 93 that went down in Pennsylvania. He had been on his way to California for a hiking trip in Yosemite National Park.

Spade reflects on the thousands of people who innocently went to work on the morning of September 11, 2001. In less than two hours, they were gone. He is grateful for each day he is granted on Earth and has a different view on life after his experience.