[the following timeline was created from the information typed into the New York City Fire Department's EMS computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system on Sept. 11, 2001. FC=female caller, MC=male caller, STS=states, SME=same, LOC=location, THR=through.

08:47:22 BLDG EXPLOSION

08:48:03 EXPLOSION ON TOP OF WORLD TRADE

08:48:07 PLANE INTO TOP OF BLDG

08:50:12 MC STS PLANE JUST FLEW INTO WORL TRADE CENTER---POSS COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE

08:50:22 FC STS WTC BLEW UP

08:50:29 FC STS SME AS ABV

08:50:46 #8027 SANTORO EMT...#8001 FAIRBEN EMT...@01 WORLD TRADE CENTER.

08:52:53 FC STS BIG HOLE IN THE RIGHT SIDE

08:53:28 MC STS SOMEONE FELL OUT OF BUILDING

08:56:44 MC STS HE IS ON THE 87 FLR--STS 4 PERSON THERE W HIM--STS THERE IS FIRE

08:56:57 FROM FLR 47 ANON FC STATS BLDG SHAKED AND SMELLS GAS

08:57:02 MC HANLEY STS SMOKE ON THE 106 FLR...PEOPLE CANNOT GET DOWN

08:57:26 PEOPLE SCREAMING IN BACKGROUND--STS CANNOT BREATHE---POSS SMOKE COMING THRU THE DOOR---FLR 103... TRAPPED.

08:57:54 MC LUTNICK STS...SMOKE ON 104 FLR

08:58:52 CALLER STS ML CAME THR THE WINDOW

08:59:17 MC WILLIAM FRM 86 FLR--CEILING COLLAPSED

08:59:22 #4124 Merino

08:59:25 #3723 Lillo

09:01:34 MC STS 104 FLR STS THERE ARE 12 PEOPLE STUCK AT LOC

09:01:53 FC STS HER SON AND ANOTHER MALE IS TRAPPED IN ROOM 8617.

09:02:10 FC CALLER STS PEOPLE ARE TRAPPED ON TOP OF BLDG---STS NEED SOMEONE TOP OF LOC

09:03:11 MC STS WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF BUILDING

09:03:12 MC SCHNEIDER STS ON 105 FLR THERE IS SMOKE W A LOT OF PERSONS INSIDE

09:04:14 MC CAGGIANO...STS PEOPLE TRAPPED ON THE 104 FLR...IN BACK ROOM...STS 35-40 PEOPLE

09:04:24 MC STS TRAPPED ON FLR 22---HOLE IN HALLWAY---SMOKE COMING IN---UNABLE TO BREATHE---MC STATES WILL BREAK WINDOW

09:04:50 MC---STS 103 FLR--CANT GET OUT---FIRE ON FLR...PEOPLE GETTING SICK

09:05:03 AIR SEA #14 PEOPLE FALLING OUT OF BUILDING

09:06:41 AIR SEA #14 UNABLE TO LAND ON ROOF

09:07:40 CALL FLR 103--ROOM 130---APPROX 30 PEOPLE---LOTS OF SMOKE---FC IS PREGNANT.

9:10 AM: Fire and debris explode from the second tower.

09:07:51 SECOND PLANE HIT THE SECOND BUILDING...UNK EXTENT OF INJ

09:08:02 FC SCREAMING

09:08:15 FC STS WORLD TRADE ON FIRE---STS FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDED TO PUT OUT FIRE

09:07:10 JUMPER

09:09:14 MC STS HE'S IN THE OFFICE WITH 40 TO 60 PEOPLE---UNSURE WHICH WAY TO GO

09:09:21 MC STS 2 WTC---PEOPLE ARE JUMPING OUT THE SIDE OF A LRG HOLE---POSS NO ONE CATCHING THEM

09:07:25 MC STS DIFF BREATHING AT LOC

09:09:43 ON FLR 104--MC STS HIS WIFE IS ON THE 91 FL---STS STAIRS ARE ALL BLOCKED---STS WORRIED ABOUT HIS WIFE

09:08:22 STUCK OCCP ELEV ON 104 FLR---PEOPLE IN ELEV

09:11:30 FC STS POSS FEM IN WHEEL CHAIR ON 68TH FL...POSS ALONE

09:11:55 FC STS SON IS IN WORLD TRADE CENTER--STS IN RM 8617 FLOOR 86

09:12:18 MC STS ON 106 FLR ABOUT 100 PEOPLE IN ROOM---NEED DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO STAY ALIVE

09:13:52 100 FL FC UNABLE TO ID EXACT LOCATION NEEDS HELP

09:14:25 1 PP [NYPD headquarters] AND GRACIE MANSION [mayor's residence] BEEN EVACUATED

09:14:52 FC STS 100 FL---UNABLE TO SPEAK

09:15:34 SEVERAL JUMPERS FROM THE WINDOW AT 1 WORLD TRADE CENTER

09:16:06 HAVE UN BUILDING EVACUATED FORTHWITH

09:16:55 ALL MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS---TO BE EVACUATED

09:17:20 MC STS HE CAN'T GET OUT---1 WORLD TRADE CENTER

09:17:39 MC STS ON 105 FLR...STAIRS COLLAPSE

09:19:16 EMPIRE STATE BUILDING IS BEING EVACUATED

09:19:20 120 PEOPLE TRAPPED ON 106TH FL A LOT OF SMOKE NOT SEEING FIRE...CAN'T GO DOWN OR UP THE STAIRS

09:19:58 EVACUATION TO THE TOP FLR OF WORLD TRADE CENTER

09:21:31 FC STS THEY ARE IN STAIRWAY C...ON 82ND FLR...STS DRS ARE LOCKED AT LOC...STS NEED SOMEONE TO OPEN DOOR

09:23:05 MC STS HES ON 84 FLR---NUMBER 2 TOWER---CAN'T BREATHE---CALLER DISCONNECTED.

09:23:28 FC STS SHE SAW PERSON IN THE BUILDING. THE PERSON IS WAVING

09:24:54 MC STS STAIRWAY COLLASPE ON 105 FLR

09:25:28 MC...STS TRAPPED IN ROOM ON 103 FLR...STS DOORS ARE HOT

09:27:33 FC DIANA STS HUSBAND FRIEND TONY IS STILL ALIVE ON THE 101 FLR

09:28:42 FC STS SOMEONE WAVING A WHT FLAG 1ST BLDG THAT WAS HIT---10 FLR DOWN FRM THE TOP

09:32:14 2 WORLD TRADE---105 FLR---PEOPLE TRAPPED---OPEN ROOF TO GAIN ACCESS.

09:36:33 FC STS THEY ARE STUCK IN THE ELEVATOR...STS THEY ARE DYING.

09:37:35 AIRCRAFT IS MILITARY

09:38:52 MC COSGROVE STS CALLED BEFORE STS HE NEEDS HELP STS CANT FIND STAIRCASE TO GET OUT OF LOC STS PEOPLE NEED HELP ON 105 FLR

09:39:25 MILITARY AIRCRAFT--- ENFORCING NO FLY ZONE

09:40:45 MC STS PEOPLE PASSING OUT

09:42:04 PEOPLE STILL JUMPING OFF THE TOWER

09:39:40 FC MELISSA STS FLR VERY HOT NO DOOR STS SHE'S GOING (TO) DIE...STILL ON PHONE...WANT TO CALL MOTHER

09:47:15 FC STS 2 WORLD TRADE CENTER---FLR 105---STS FLOOR UNDERNEATH HER ---COLLAPSE

09:47:23 ML WAVING JACKET...ML JUST JUMPED

09:49:21 1 WORLD TRADE CTR...20 PEOPLE ON THE TOP WAVING...THEY ARE ALIVE PLEASE SEND HELP

09:54:36 ANOTHER CALL CAN HEAR PEOPLE CRYING...NO VOICE CONTACT

09:55:28 2 WTC---106 FLR---105 FLR CRUMBLING

09:54:21 MC STS ON 93 FLR 30 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM---STS SMOKE IS GETTING WORSE

09:56:22 PENTAGON IN WASHINGTON HAS BEEN STRUCK BY AIRPLANE

O9:59:03 FC CONCERN ABOUT RESPIRATORY EFFECTS OF THOSE PARTICLES

10:00:22 ANY UNIFORM PERSONNEL TO BATTERY PARK CITY...ELECTION DETAIL UNITS RESPONDING.

10:00:33 MC STS SON CALLED---ON FLR 93---STS IN THE SECOND TOWER THAT WAS HIT---STS SMOKE IS GETTING WORSE

10:00 AM: The World Trade Center has collapsed.

10:00:45 WORLD TRADE CENTER HAS COLLAPSED. CALL DISCONNECTED

10:07:54 TRAPPED BUILDING FELL ON THEM

10:10:31 NUMEROUS (OFFICERS) IN BLDG THAT JUST COLLAPSED-- PERSONNEL TRAPPED IN BASEMENT...PEOPLE IN THE RUBBLE

10:12:35 MC STS HE CAN BARELY BREATHE...105TH FLR

10:16:02 FC STS HER BROTHER IS IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER 104 FLR--- STS NO ONE HAS COME FOR HIM YET

10:26:34 DOES APPEAR THAT TOP OF TOWER POSS LEANING AT THIS TIME--- AIR SEA #14---IS BUCKLING--- LEANING TO SW

10:29:25 NORTH TOWER IS LEANING

10:31:18 N TOWER POSS GETTING READY TO FALL

10:32:56 NORTH TOWER COLLAPSING

10:33:29 SECOND BUILDING CAME DOWN

10:33:42 ENTIRE TOWER DOWN

[back to main Terrorism page]