RUDY'S BUNKER FAILURE

Post 9-11, the Sept.11 Commission held a hearing regarding the actions of police and firemen on that dreadful day. Present and also questioned at the hearing was then mayor, Rudolph Giuliani. Giuliani blamed the attack justifiably so, on terrorists. But, it appears that many of the deaths of the uniformed service personnel could have been prevented if communications were better. Giuliani constructed a $15,000,000 bunker on the 23rd floor of 7 World Trade Center. It was done despite the protests of fellow politicians and fire department safety officials. He was advised that since the first attack on World Trade had been in close proximity, it was a poor choice in the inevitability of a second. He was also advised against storing 6,000 gallons of fuel on site. The 6, 000 gallon fuel tank was positioned 15 feet above the ground floor and near several lobby elevators. The fuel was meant to power generators that would supply electricity to the 23rd floor bunker in the event of a power failure. The fire department repeatedly warned that a tank in that position could spread fumes throughout the building if leaked, or if it caught fire, could produce what one Fire Department memorandum called “disaster”. It was not consistent with city fire codes.

Giuliani claimed that coordinating activities would enhance the communication system between fire and police. History would show that on 9-11, there was no synchronization between radios of police and fire. Police helicopters hovering above World Trade saw that the buildings were in danger of imminent collapse. However, due to frequency incompatibility, they could not get the message to the firemen. Giuliani's claim was that the firemen stayed in the buildings affecting a valiant rescue of the occupants. He further added that the radios did not work because the technology did not exist. Contrary to Giuliani's statements, Jerome Hauer, who served as director of Office of Emergency Management under Giuliani, contradicted his boss. Hauer told the 9-11 Commission “the city had purchased radios to permit the two agencies to communicate, but had run into political problems.”

On 9-11, the Giuliani Emergency Bunker was never used. It was off limits. Thus......the famous and dramatic video of Rudy trooping through the ash occurred almost by default. He had no place to go. A short time after the twin towers fell, its sister tower, number 7 fell also. Some say it was razed, some say it burned. Further investigation will have to reveal the truth. When the time came for Rudy’s Bunker to perform, it didn’t. Over 400 firemen and police officers lost their lives that day. Could some deaths have been prevented with better radio communications? You, the reader will have to decide from the facts presented.

Giuliani continues to defend his bunker. In the afterglow of 9-11, he was rarely questioned about the issue. One was deemed almost unpatriotic by doubting his sainthood. Perhaps now is the time to revisit “The Bunker”.

In Rudy In the Raw (11), Rudy b.911 vehemently defends his decision to construct the “bunker”. He scoffs at the idea that it is useless and in a chilling prophecy discusses how it could be used in the event of a terror attack. Click on : http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5541552572026607965