It is with permission from Mike Bellone that we can bring you excerpts from the book.

I have read parts of this book and I can tell you that it will make you feel angry because
these men and women down at Ground Zero should never have had to go through this,
it will make you cry, it will make you feel like you were there with them.
 It is a very powerful book that speaks the truth.  It is living history that should never be
 forgotten and our children should know what it was like.
 In some recountings it is very graphic in detail so use your own discretion
when letting your children read it.  Sincerely, Lee-Ann Bradt

A true hero.

This is Mike Bellone and he is an
Honorary FireFighter with the
New York City Fire Department Ladder 20.

He is also a Director with TRAC
(Trauma Response Assistance
for Children).
mbellone@tracteam.org
 


What is TRAC Team and their Mission

As taken from their book.
"TRAC (Trauma Response Assistance
for Children) Team is an integrated
program of preparedness and education
that supports and empowers children,
their families, and communities to help
them deal with pre and post effects
of critical incidences such as natural,
disasters, terrorism and trauma."
 

To Contact TRAC Team
click on their logo


"The next thing I knew, things were falling on top
of me.  And then I felt myself being lifted up.
It was like I was on a magic carpet from the wind
of the collapse.  It threw me about 60 feet.
And I found myself crawling... crawling.  I just
kept crawling.  I crawled toward what turned
out to be a flicker of light.
(George Kozlowski FF - Ladder 20 FDNY)
 

"I didn't see George and started yelling for him.  I
knew he was behind me.  But when the building
came down, I couldn't even see my hand.  I
went back for George.  I followed the hose back
and kept calling for him."
(Kenny Escoffery FF - Ladder 20 FDNY)


"It was dark, extremely hot, papers flying and
debris everywhere.  I immediately smelled the
different toxins in the air.  I had used the towers
as a guide to let me know where I was....
and now my guide was lost."
(Mike Bellone - Honorary FF FDNY)
 

"The hardest part was that it was coming to
an end... It was bittersweet... Out of this
tragedy we had formed a bond that will
never be broken."
(Bob Barrett - Retired FF Ladder Co 20)