Australian cop was in World Trade Centre when the first plane hit it

Australian cop was in World Trade Centre when the first plane hit it
Twenty-two years in the past, an Australian police officer within the US discovered himself on the epicentre of one of many deadliest assaults in fashionable historical past, on his first day of anti-terrorism coaching.

Now-retired New South Wales police officer Patrick Stafford had simply begun a piece journey to coach with the New York Police Department on September 11, 2001.

The expertise knowledgeable the remainder of his profession, and now he’s talking publicly concerning the day that modified his life, and numerous others, for the primary time.

Retired NSW police officer Patrick Stafford is recounting his experience of 9/11 for the first time.
Retired NSW police officer Patrick Stafford is recounting his expertise of 9/11 for the primary time. (9News)

“I was in the World Trade Centre for about 15, 20 minutes,” Stafford advised 9News.

“Leaving the building when the first plane had already crashed into Tower 1 above us.” 

But he mentioned he did not discover.

About ten minutes later after arriving on the NYPD workplace in Brooklyn, Stafford’s consideration was glued to a tv.

“I called out to the NYPD staff who were sitting behind me in various cubicles that did they know the World Trade Centre was on fire.”

Stafford took this photo, showing the twin towers still standing, on the morning of the attack.
Stafford took this picture, exhibiting the dual towers nonetheless standing, on the morning of the assault. (9News)

As all of them huddled round, they watched the second airplane hit the south tower.

The emergency response instantly went into overdrive and each single first responder within the metropolis was known as in.

There was a mass evacuation and solely firefighters, paramedics and police had been allowed within the space, however roughly an hour later all of it got here down.

He recalls watching the horror unfold from the NYPD office in Brooklyn.
Stafford recollects watching the horror unfold from the NYPD workplace in Brooklyn. (9News)
 Smoke pours from the World Trade Center after it was hit by two hijacjked passenger planes September 11, 2001 in New York City.

How the day that modified the world unfolded

“When the tower collapsed, first tower one and soon after tower two the mood in the (NYPD) office got pretty violent… and they got pretty upset, they were tossing chairs, turning up tables, they were angry,” Stafford mentioned.

When he returned to Australia, the now-retired officer used his expertise to show others what to do and what to not do when the worst occurs.

Stafford shared this perception with police throughout the nation till he retired final July.

Source: www.9news.com.au