I was part of the Condition Survey Unit of the Engineering Department. Our job was to roll on structural emergencies, and in this case, it was the greatest emergency in PANYNJ history. As directed by the Chief Engineer, a young associate and I were escorted into NYC by two motorcycle officers to the NYPD command post at Manhattan Community College. I was sent in to be liaison between the Chief Engineer of the PA and the NYC Office of Emergency Management. While I was inside, NYPD appropriated my vehicle and driver stranding me on foot. In addition, NYPD was unsure as to where OEM had set up and told me to walk up West Street and ask at the FDNY command post. I finally found the FDNY command post and was told where OEM command post had set up. After considerable time I finally arrived at the Elementary School gymnasium where they were located. Attendees included Federal, State, and NYC agency representatives. Also, there were prominent consulting engineers George Tamaro and Richard Tomasetti both of whom were very experienced with buildings. We spent the next hours discussing how we were going to handle the disaster. Around 9:30 PM I received a call from my young associate and found out what happened to him. We agreed on a meeting location and went home.
The next morning, I spoke with the Chief Engineer and was tasked with photographing and evaluating the site. My team and I spent most of the day on site and went back to our office at PATC and selected the most relevant pictures. I then drove to our command center at Journal Square. I briefed the Chief Engineer, Frank Lombardi and the Acting Executive Director, Ernesto Butcher. I essentially told them all of the buildings on the site were destroyed and further it would be necessary to shut down water and sewer lines to the site. The Exchange Place Station is at a lower elevation than at WTC. If the bathtub flooded there was a good chance water would enter the PATH tunnels and flood Exchange Place and threaten the entire PATH system.
I then spent the rest of my time on site helping to coordinate the general contractors. It was disheartening seeing many NYPD and FDNY staff desperately digging for survivors. Some did not leave the site but slept where ever they could. Fortunately for them the Salvation Army was on site handing out food and water to all of us. At the conclusion of the Rescue Effort all Condition Survey staff were relieved by a fresh team of engineers and we were sent back to our PATC offices.
Ivan Ramirez, PE (NY & NJ), CBIE
PA #15781
Quality Assurance Division
Engineering Department
