At the time of the attacks, UCF Police Officer Joel Witherspoon was an NYPD patrol officer in Queens. Victim Services Director Christine Mouton 麻豆精品 S�98 麻豆精品 S�01MS, then an advocate with the State Attorney 麻豆精品 S檚 Office, 18th Judicial Circuit, was deployed to the northeast to assist victims 麻豆精品 S� families and friend.
麻豆精品 S淚t doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 even seem like it 麻豆精品 S檚 that long, 麻豆精品 S� Mouton says. 麻豆精品 S淚t seems like I just met those people a few weeks ago. I can still remember who they are. I can still see their faces. You just never forget. You never do. 麻豆精品 S�
In the Aftermath, an Officer 麻豆精品 S檚 View from the Frontlines
Sept. 11, 2001, started as a normal day for Witherspoon, who is now part of UCFPD 麻豆精品 S檚 special operations division. Then Witherspoon and his partner got a call that a plane had crashed into one of the towers. When they received another call a few minutes later about the second tower, they knew something was seriously wrong.
麻豆精品 S淭he first day we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know exactly what was going on, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淲e were listening to the radio and we could hear officers screaming over the radio, calling for help and all types of things going on. We knew something serious was going on, but at that time, we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know it was a terrorist attack. 麻豆精品 S�
Witherspoon didn 麻豆精品 S檛 report to the World Trade Center that day, but he did arrive in downtown Manhattan the next day to work the security detail around the site 麻豆精品 S檚 perimeter. He stayed at that post for the rest of the year.
He remembers an eerie calm over the usually bustling city in the days after the attack.
麻豆精品 S淚t was like watching one of those movies where there 麻豆精品 S檚 just total destruction, 麻豆精品 S� Witherspoon says. 麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 nobody around, and all of the buildings were still covered in soot and ash. It was really just a sight to behold. 麻豆精品 S�
Witherspoon didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know any fellow police officers who lost their lives on 9/11, but he did know a firefighter who responded and perished. The 20-year NYPD veteran remembers standing outside working security while watching his brothers in blue and fellow first responders going in and trying to rescue those who might still be in the building.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 one thing about being a cop that you learn over the years, you obviously want to be in the middle of what 麻豆精品 S檚 going on, 麻豆精品 S� Witherpoon says. 麻豆精品 S淎s most people are running away, we 麻豆精品 S檙e running into the danger. You want to help. It 麻豆精品 S檚 just a feeling that never goes away, you want to go in and help. 麻豆精品 S�
Americans from across the country stepped up too, he says.
麻豆精品 S淭hat was a point in time and a period in history where it seemed like everyone came together, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淓verybody was there to help. It really brought home what first responders do. Because from that day forward, a lot of people will come up and thank you for your service. 麻豆精品 S�
Across the River, Advocates Offer Comfort and Support
As Witherspoon protected Ground Zero, Mouton and her team were across the Hudson River consoling those who lost loved ones in the attack.
Mouton, who was working in Melbourne at the time, was in a staff meeting that was interrupted with instructions to turn on the news. Minutes later, her team was deployed to New York as crisis responders.
Because planes weren 麻豆精品 S檛 yet back in the air, her team made the 24-hour drive to New Jersey, where they reported to the family assistance center. Though they 麻豆精品 S檇 been trained in crisis response, nobody could be prepared for an event of 9/11 麻豆精品 S檚 magnitude.
麻豆精品 S淭his was nothing that anybody had ever envisioned as a crisis responder, so the books kind of went out the window, so to speak, 麻豆精品 S� Mouton says.
They set up a companioning model, where victims could report to the center and be assigned to an advocate that would accompany them and explain services. There was an area for social security, a place for DNA samples to be given in the hopes it would aid in identifying loved ones, and a process for death certificates.
Eventually, family members were allowed to collect ashes from the 9/11 site.
麻豆精品 S淭hey had a really nice memorial where they brought them over from the other side of the river, 麻豆精品 S� Mouton recalls. 麻豆精品 S淎 bagpipe was played and there was a police escort and family members were able to come back down and pick up a box if they chose to do that because there really wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 going to be much for them other than that one box. 麻豆精品 S�
One night, Mouton 麻豆精品 S檚 group was able to leave the center and visit the site themselves. Her experience was similar to Witherspoon 麻豆精品 S檚.
麻豆精品 S淵ou could taste and feel the grit and dust in the air, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淲e could hear this thunder rolling down the street and sure enough, here comes this huge flatbed truck. It had these humongous pieces of iron girder on the back and they were just crushed like tissue paper. When you see something that 麻豆精品 S檚 supposed to be that strong, it 麻豆精品 S檚 just like, there are really no more survivors there. 麻豆精品 S�
Mouton 麻豆精品 S檚 team was there for almost two weeks. The Florida Crisis Team that she was part of had other members at the actual site debriefing first responders, patrol officers and others who were helping with body identification.
麻豆精品 S淭here were a lot of intense stories that were shared, and you don 麻豆精品 S檛 ever forget those kinds of stories, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 almost in that moment someone has shared something really intimate with you and you don 麻豆精品 S檛 ever want to let it go. You just always carry it with you and you don 麻豆精品 S檛 ever forget. You never forget. 麻豆精品 S�
