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TextLastmandownThefireman’sstory11September20019:59AM1Itcameasiffromnowhere.2Therewereabouttwodozenofusbythebankofelevatorsonthe35thfloorofthenorthtoweroftheWorldTradeCenter.Wewerefirefighters,mostly,andwewereinvariousstagesofexhaustion.Someguysweresweatinglikepigs.Somehadtheirturnoutcoatsoff,ortiedaroundtheirwaists.Quiteafewwerebreathingheavily.Otherswereraringtogo.Allofusweretakingabeattocatchourbreaths,andourbearings,figureoutwhatthehellwasgoingon.We'dbeenatthisthing,hard,foralmostanhour,somealittlebitless,andwewerenowhereclosetodone.Ofcourse,wehadnoideawhattherewaslefttodo,butwehadn'tmadeadent.Text3Andthenthenoisestarted,andthebuildingbegantotremble,andweallfroze.Deadsolidstill.Whatevertherehadbeenlefttodowouldnowhavetowait.Forwhat,wehadnoidea,butitwouldwait.Or,itwouldn't,butthatwasn'tthepoint.Thepointwasthatnoonewasmoving.Toaman,noonemoved,excepttolifthiseyestotheceiling,toseewheretheracketwascomingfrom.Asifwecouldseeclearthroughtheceilingtilesforaneasyanswer.Noonespoke.Therewasn'ttimetoturnthoughtintowords,eventhoughtherewastimetothink.TextFormeanyway,therewastimetothink,toomuchtimetothink,andmythoughtswereallovertheplace.Everypossibleworst-casescenario,andafewmorebesides.Thebuildingwasshakinglikeinanearthquake,likeanamusementparkthrillridegoneberserk,butitwastherumblethatstruckmestillwithfear.Thesheervolumeofit.Thewayitcoursedrightthroughme.Icouldn'tthinkwhatthehellwouldmakeanoiselikethat.Likeathousandrunawaytrainsspeedingtowardsme.Likeaherdofwildbeasts.Likethethunderofarockslide.Hardtoputitintowords,butwhateverthehellitwasitwasgainingspeed,andgatheringforce,andgettingcloser,andIwasstuckinthemiddle,unabletogetoutofitspath.Text4It'samazing,thekindofthingyouthinkaboutwhenthereshouldbenotimetothink.Ithoughtaboutmywifeandmykids,butonlyfleetinglyandnotinanykindoflife-flashing-before-my-eyessortofway.Ithoughtaboutthejob,howcloseIwastomakingdeputy.IthoughtaboutthebagelsIhadleftonthekitchencounterbackatthefirehouse.Ithoughthowwefiremenwerealwayssayingtoeachother,I'llseeyouatthebigone.Or,We'llallmeetatthebigone.Ineverknewhowitstarted,orwhenI'dpickeduponitmyself,butitwaspartofourshorthand.TextMeaning,nomatterhowbigthisfireis,there'llbeanotheronebigger,somewheredowntheroad.We'llmakeitthroughthisone,andwe'llmakeitthroughthatone,too.Ialwayssaidit,atbigfires,andIalwayshearditback,andhereIwas,thinkingIwouldneversayorhearthesewordsagain,becausetherewouldneverbeanotherfireasbigasthis.Thiswasthebigonewehadalltalkedabout,allourlives,andifIhadn'tknownthisbefore–justbeforethesechillingmoments–thissick,blacknoisenowconfirmedit.Text5Ifumbledforsomefixonthesituation,thinkingmaybeifIunderstoodwhatwashappeningIcouldsteelmyselfagainstit.Allofthesethoughtswerelandinginmybraininakindofflashpoint,oneontopoftheotherandallatonce,buttheretheywere.Andeachthoughtlandedfullyformed,asiftheremightbetimetoactoneach,whenintruththerewasnotimeatall.TextPostscript6RichardPicciotto(alsoknownasPitch)wasinthenorthtoweroftheWorldTradeCenterwhenitcollapsedintheaftermathofthemassiveterroristattackon11September2001.AbattalioncommanderfortheNewYorkFireDepartment,hewasonthesceneofthedisasterwithinminutesoftheattack,toleadsevencompaniesoffirefightersintothetowertohelppeopletrappedandtoextinguishfiresblazingeverywhere.Text7Thenorthtowerwasthefirstofthetwintowerstobehit.Itwasfollowed17minuteslaterbythesouthtower.Thesouthtower,however,wasthefirsttocollapse,at9:59am.Atthatmoment,Picciottowasinthenorthtower,racingupwardsbythestairsbecausetheelevatorswereoutofaction.Hethengavetheordertoevacuate.Onthe12thstoryhecameacross50peopleamidthedebris,toobadlyhurtorfrightenedtomove.Picciottoandhismenhelpedthemdown.Whenhereachedtheseventhfloor,thetowerfell,andhewasburiedbeneaththousandsoftonsofrubble.Heeventuallycameroundfourhourslater,leadinghismentosafety.Text8Picciottowasthehighestrankingfirefightertosurvivetheattack.Thechiefofthedepartment,thefirstdeputyandthechiefofrescueoperationshadallbeenkilled.Altogetherthedeathtollincluded343firefightersandmorethan3,000civilians.Text9PicciottotellsthestoryinhisbookLastManDown.HeusesadramaticfirstpersonstylewhichgivesthereaderanideaofthenightmareandthechaoticconfusionofoneofthedarkestdaysinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates,thetragedynowknowntotheworldsimplyas9/11,butadayofutmosthumanityandheroismtoo.Publishedin2002,thebookbecameanimmediatebest-seller,whichtheauthorwroteingratitude,andintendedasatributeto,hisdecentandtrustworthycomradeswhogavetheirlives.It’salsoatestimonytohisleadershipskills.Ashesays,“Peoplecallusheroes,butwewerejustdoingourjob.”Text最后撤出的人：消防员的故事2001年9月11日上午9时59分1它似乎是从天而降。2在世贸中心北塔35层的一组电梯旁，当时大约有20多个人。我们中绝大多数是消防员，个个都差不多精疲力竭了。有的人大汗淋漓，有的脱掉了他们的消防战斗服，或是把它们扎在腰间。有好几个人大口地喘着粗气。其他人迫不及待地想要离开这儿。我们所有的人都停了下来，想喘口气，清醒一下头脑，搞明白到底出了什么事。我们已经在这儿拼命战斗了差不多一个小时了，有些人时间稍微短一点儿，可我们根本看不见哪里是尽头。当然，我们也不知道自己还能干点儿什么，没有一点儿进展。Text3接着传来一阵巨大的响声，整个大楼开始颤动起来，我们都愣住了。站在那儿一动不动。不管本来要做什么，现在都只能等一下了。可要等什么呢？我们不知道，但是还得等。或许我们不用等，可是问题不在这儿。问题是大家都站在那儿一动不动。所有的人中间没有一个人动，只是有人抬头看了看天花板，想搞清楚这巨大的声响到底是从哪儿传来的。好像我们都能透过天花板，很容易就找到答案似的。没有人开口说话。即便是有时间思考，我们也没有时间把思维转变成语言。Text不管怎么说，我还有时