9/11 Tapes Evoke Horror, Heartbreak

(CBS/AP)  A fire official described near chaos inside the World Trade Center, with communication becoming increasingly difficult as firefighters tried to reach people trapped by a devastating blaze raging high overhead, recordings released Wednesday of emergency phone calls from the Sept. 11 attacks show.

"We're in a state of confusion," said Chief Dennis Devlin of Battalion 9. "We have no cell phone service anywhere because of the disaster ... Bring all the additional handy talkies."

Devlin tried to get a rundown of all the companies dispatched to the burning 110-story buildings. He was still inside the south Trade Center tower when it collapsed.."

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'I'm Going To Die, Aren't I?'
A desperate woman calls for help from the burning 83rd floor of World Trade Center.
More Audio Links, WCBS

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The same mix of concern and confusion was evident in recordings of more of the 1,613 previously undisclosed emergency calls made amid the horror in the towers after the hijacked planes hit the trade center.

"One of the towers just collapsed," said a fire lieutenant on another call. "Everybody's got to be inside of it. ... There's got to be thousands of the people inside it. One of the towers just came down on everybody."

Frantic callers trapped on the upper floors of the burning World Trade Center sought help from emergency operators, who were unable to offer much more than words of encouragement.

"There's heavy smoke and flames and the building management is announcing that everything is all right, and it's not and they're confused," said one fire dispatcher after fielding a phone call from someone trapped on the 82nd floor.

Another operator, speaking to someone stranded on the 103rd floor, promised, "I'm going to do my best."

"I want you to go on the floor. Kneel on the floor. On the floor," said another operator. Another, speaking to a woman stuck on the 83rd floor, offered hope of a rescue team that never appeared.

"Listen to me, ma'am," that operator told a panicky Melissa Doi during a 20-minute phone call. "You're not dying. You're in a bad situation, ma'am."

A portion of Doi's end of the conversation was played for jurors in April at the trial of Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" Doi asked the dispatcher.

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[noloyalisti]

Let us never forget that we can never let another Republican run the armed forces and protect the US. They don't believe in the government and it showed during the Bush Crime Family Reign of Terror. Not only did the Crime Family let 911 happen for their own poliical and financial gain but they also ruined FEMA and we saw how that worked out during and after Katrina.

If we never vote for any more American government hating Republicons then all those people will not have died in vain.

[guyfrompa46]

Ignorant statement as usual from you. I beleive it was Mr Clinton who didn't protect us when they tried the first time to take the towers down.. where was the urgency from him to make this country safer? You are an idiot.. No make that a moron.

[Proud_American_and_TEXAN]

Nothing like an idiot removing all doubt about their intellect. Feel free to move back to what ever country ( or rock) you crawled out from. You ceretainly know nothing about any of the events you speak of.
I was in La Place (20 miles north of New Orleans)and while a bad situation it was no different than what florida (and others deal with EVERY year during hurricane season. GET OVER IT. It was media drama. And to point out, less terrible than the Storm to hit Galveston at the turn of the century, or Camile or Allen that hit florida.... but those were not as dramatic for the media to sensationalize.
911 was a travesty and sadly the only thing more sad is our media thinking "its too emotional or painful" to not be remembered and displayed EVERYDAY as a reminder that they started it with out remorse nor concern for civilian life. I remember the days when broadcasting simply reported the news, not sensationalized it. I long for the days when we started the day with the pledge and ended it with the Star Spangled Banner.
How much longer will we, as Americans, continue to put up with, in silence, the ramblings of idiots who have no love for the freedoms this country brings.
Guyfrompa,
Never could there be a greater UNDERSTATEMENT made.
As for all the rest...
GOD BLESS AMERICA... love it or LEAVE IT.