Episode 953: Bravery in the Face of Chaos - John Ferriso’s 9/11 Experience

Street Cop Podcast

Street Cop Training

Education

4.9 • 933 Ratings

🗓️ 21 October 2024

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this powerful episode of the Street Cop Podcast, host Dennis Benigno interviews John Ferriso, a dedicated NYPD officer, to explore his career and the profound challenges faced by law enforcement in times of crisis. John shares his experiences, including his firsthand account of the events of September 11, 2001, and the impact it had on his life and those around him.

From navigating the chaos of that fateful day to managing the emotional toll of his profession, John provides insights into the realities of serving as a first responder. He discusses the evolving attitudes towards law enforcement and the importance of communication with loved ones during high-stress situations.

Join us for an engaging conversation that not only honors the resilience of first responders but also delves into the ongoing journey of those who serve and protect our communities. This episode offers a compelling look at bravery, sacrifice, and the complexities of a law enforcement career in a changing world.

Timestamps: 00:02:06:14 - 00:16:15:12 John’s background 00:16:15:12 - 00:34:10:09 John’s firsthand account of 9/11 00:34:10:09 - 00:39:43:02 Were people able to identify John as law enforcement on 9/11? 00:39:43:02 - 00:42:24:09 John’s communication with his family after the attacks 00:42:24:09 - 00:48:19:06 When was John finally able to rest and process everything? 00:48:19:06 - 00:52:25:00 Did others from the NYPD head directly towards the World Trade Center 00:52:25:00 - 00:56:28:00 Failings of administration & training 00:56:28:00 - 01:03:11:18 Changes in civility and attitude towards first responders immediately after 9/11 01:03:11:18 - 01:10:31:17 Managing emotions as a police officer 01:10:31:17 - 01:11:57:07 Outro

Transcript

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0:00.0	What I do do is like what you did I was in law enforcement 20 years is a long time in any law enforcement career 20 years in the NYPD is a very long time I work close to the trade center now and I still go down there. Of course I think about it.
0:13.2	I wrote about it because people needed to know
0:15.1	and there's no reason why I should be negatively affected by it
0:19.4	because I witnessed it and I could tell the story so others will know what really happened.
0:24.6	You know, I didn't have a cell phone yet. I ran down to the payphone and in the building
0:28.8	at One Police Plaza, I put a quarter on a phone, it called my wife who worked in Manhattan.
0:32.1	I said, someone just put who worked in Manhattan. I said,
0:33.2	someone just put a bomb in the trade center. I said,
0:36.4	I'm a half mile from the building.
0:38.2	They're going to send us there.
0:40.1	I said, we're going to go to this building. I will call you when we're done.
0:46.6	Hung up the phone. Didn't realize what I just said. I went back to my office, looked out the window,
0:53.9	and I was staring and fixating on something
0:57.3	that to this day I think about every day,
0:59.6	and I will think about every day forever,
1:01.8	I saw debris falling from the building.
1:03.8	I looked closer was not debris.
1:05.4	There was people jumping from the towers.
1:07.6	A few days later, I began to write it down.
1:09.4	I had an old spiral notebook, like a kid's book.
1:11.8	I started taking pen to paper I said I witnessed history
1:14.3	I thought I'm gonna witness history that with my generations Pearl Hall book I'm gonna
	...

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