Nearly 25 years after surviving the collapse of the North Tower on September 11, 2001, New York City firefighter Peter Fallucca is issuing a stark warning to America: the nation has forgotten the unity and vigilance that followed the attacks, leaving it vulnerable to future threats.
Fallucca, then a member of Engine 16, was en route to the World Trade Center when the first plane struck. Arriving shortly after the second plane hit the South Tower, he entered the North Tower with his unit, equipped with hoses and air tanks. He ascended to the 23rd floor before an evacuation order enabled his escape, moments before the tower began to collapse. While every firefighter from his unit survived, members of Ladder 7, housed in the same firehouse, did not return.
A Harrowing Experience
Fallucca recounted hearing the first plane roar directly over his firehouse. His unit was dispatched immediately, arriving to witness the devastation. As Engine 16 traveled south, he saw office paper pouring from the damaged tower, initially mistaking it for birds. The crew understood the gravity of the situation when the second plane struck, raining debris onto their engine.
Inside the North Tower, Fallucca’s crew was ordered toward the 70th floor to establish communications and combat fires. They climbed a stairwell filled with descending office workers, many of whom offered water and words of encouragement. "They had bottles of water. They were handing us bottles of water, and we’d take a slug of water and hand the bottle back to the guy behind us," Fallucca recalled.
At around the 23rd floor, as his lieutenant assessed conditions, the tower shook violently. Fallucca initially believed another plane had hit, unaware it was the South Tower collapsing. Amid the confusion, he heard a radio order for all Fire Department personnel to evacuate. He relayed this to his lieutenant, who insisted the order was for civilians, not firefighters. Fallucca continued down the stairs, searching for his crew.
Upon reaching the lobby, he found it deserted, a stark contrast to the earlier activity. While waiting for his lieutenant, Fallucca was asked to help carry a wounded woman to safety. This decision to assist, he believes, saved his life. As he helped move the woman outside, he turned and saw the North Tower collapsing. Engulfed in a cloud of debris and dust, he ran for safety, eventually finding refuge in Stuyvesant High School.
Lingering Scars and a Faded Unity
Fallucca later returned to Ground Zero, working grueling shifts for two to three months in the search for survivors. The experience left him with lasting health issues, including asthma, acid reflux, and sleep apnea, which he attributes to his time at Ground Zero. He retired in 2024.
Reflecting on the nearly 25 years since the attacks, Fallucca observes a significant shift in national sentiment. "I think we lost that patriotism that we had in the days after 9/11," he stated. "There wasn’t a house that didn’t have an American flag on it. Now, today, [if you have] an American flag, people think you’re racist or you’re something. So it’s almost looked down upon to be a patriot."
He warns that this erosion of unity and vigilance could make the nation susceptible to similar attacks. Fallucca advocates for confronting those who express hatred toward the U.S., arguing that concerns about causing offense should not impede national security. Fallucca's story is also featured in The History Channel documentary "102 Minutes Inside the Towers."