David Castle was in hospital four years ago on Sept. 11 when the attack on the World Trade Center occured.
Working as a paramedic for an ambulance company, he watched the news, seeing the second plane hit the second tower and realizing that ‘something wasn’t right.?
Only 15 hours later Castle, also a reserve Lake Angelus police officer at the time, was on his way to New York and Ground Zero.
‘I wanted to go,? says Castle, 33, who was also a part-time firefighter for the Brandon Fire Department and is now full-time. ‘There was no hesitation.?
The Oakland County emergency response team of about 20 people included other officers from Lake Angelus, as well as Royal Oak, Auburn Hills and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department. They traveled in about six vehicles, escorting a semi-truck with supplies, clothing and food, driving 13 hours to a staging area in New Jersey.
Upon arrival, there was a lengthy wait while the Oakland County contingent waited for their assignment. They were eventually assigned to assist the FBI’s Emergency Response Team and went to Ground Zero. Castle described the scene as a thousand times worse than what he had seen on the news.
‘The media never got close enough to see the rubble and obviously you don’t get the smell,? Castle said. ‘I was not prepared…The rubble was unreconizable stuff. I went expecting to find chairs and tables. Once we were there we realized it was very unlikely we would find a survivor.?
Still, Castle and his teammates operated in rescue mode, doing a bucket brigade, taking debris bucket by bucket off the World Trade Center. It was quiet when it was a rescue mission, as people worked together and listened for survivors, but Castle says all they found were body parts.
‘It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen,? he recalled. ‘It was physically and mentally exhausting even after a few days.?
Castle and the Oakland County team stayed for six days, during which time they did 12-hour shifts and also searched other buildings and did security. He remembers it was very hard to talk to New York City firefighters who were not on duty at the time the towers collapsed and were frustrated, wanting to work continuously in the rescue effort.
‘It was overwhelming,? Castle says. ‘If it was my department and my brothers that I lost it would have been even worse personally.?
When Castle returned, he and the Oakland County team went through critical incident stress debriefing to make sure they didn’t harbor any bad feelings to assure them any feelings they had were normal. Castle felt sorrow then and now for all who were hurt in the tragedy or lost their lives.
As the fourth anniversary passes, he believes the country is safer in some aspects. He thinks it will be more difficult for a terrorist to use a plane as a weapon and is glad to see the formation of Homeland Security and government agencies communicating with each other.
But although he says America drew together immediately following Sept. 11, he doesn’t believe the country is looking out for each other right now.
‘Everyone’s gone back to living their own lives,? Castle says. ‘Four years later, there’s not the same unity… I hope with the hurricane Americans still have the same kind of desire to help as they did with 9/11. I would go help with that if I could.?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency was seeking 1,000 firefighters in teams of two from the nation’s fire departments for a 30-day stint in hurricane affected regions. Because the Brandon Fire Department is small, Castle says the department cannot spare two firefighters for that long– it would cause a strain.
Castle was cited by the Lake Angelus city council, the Lake Angelus police chief and the FBI for his efforts after Sept. 11. The trip had been his first to New York. He wants to return.
‘I’d like to go back and see what New York is like when it’s not a somber atmosphere and destroyed,? he says. ‘I’d love to go for New Year’s. Maybe after they get the monument I’ll go.?