20 years ago, on September 11 planes hijacked by Al Qaeda operatives crashed into New York’s World Trade Center, killing more than 3,000 people and injuring thousands of others. After the attack, more than 100,000 responders and recovery workers from every US state – along with some 400,000 residents and other workers around ground zero – were exposed to a toxic cloud of dust that fell as a ghostly, thick layer of ash and then hung in the air for more than three months. Till date, the 2001 attack remains the deadliest terrorist attack in US history.
Needless to say, it was an emergency of epic proportions. But contrary to the opinions of some, the horrific incident does not have any correlation with the 9-1-1 US Emergency Phone Number helpline. For the uninitiated, the three digit number can generally be used for any police, fire or medic and provides direct access to a public safety answering point. The system has been used ever since the 1960s… READ MORE
