Without getting in the polemics of the whole 9/11 incident, it is important to reflect on the actual event itself. After all, it reflects all the elements of what it means to be a first responder and the dynamics of chaos in an emergency situation. While it was a dramatic instance of what happens in a critical response incident, it is doubtful that any of the responders had a clue, at the time of the response, of the enormity or gravity of the situation they were facing. Any response can quickly turn to rat-poop under the right (or wrong) circumstances. Nothing prepares you for catastrophy.
Its convenient, and perhaps correct, to label the protagonists as heroes but the reality is that, in all likelihood, none of those who gave their lives in New York, actually wanted to put themselves at such extreme risk. After all, we all know that putting our own safety at risk jeopardizes the potential success of the mission. Who could have predicted that that such a tall, modern building would be at risk of collapse? It is the chaotic nature of emergencies that pose such a great risk for responders who, after all, are merely human beings who face risk on a regular basis and are trained to respond to such risk in as safe a manner as possible. This is not to detract from their sarificae…but let’s all rememeber that, pre-9/11, none of us considered that our scope of risk-appreciation was so narrow and rigidly focussed.
As we ponder the enormous sacrifice and tragedy of 9/11, it is important for us to appreciate, perhaps even respect, the randomness of all the things that can, and often do, go wrong while responding to an emergency. People, traffic, fire and structural integrity all behave in incalculable ways and we always have be to aware of what’s happening around us and be prepared for the unexpected…no matter how small, how innocuous a situation may seem to be. The consequences of tunnel vision are dire and we must learn from the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters. Their ultimate sacrifice must not be in vain.