NFPA 9.3.6 covers Spoliation of Evidence. Specifically, 9.3.6.7 reads as follows: “Once evidence has been removed from the scene, it should be maintained and not be destroyed or altered until others who have a reasonable interest in the matter have been notified. Any destructive testing or destructive examination of the evidence that may be necessary should occur only after all reasonably known parties have been notified in advance and given the opportunity to participate in or observe the testing.”
It would seem painfully obvious the very engineers and investigators that are tasked to determine the cause of collapse would be “reasonably known parties” and would find it very helpful to “participate in or observe the testing” in order to aid in their investigation.
Since when do we destroy evidence before we identify the cause of collapse? We don’t solve crimes, or get safer buildings by destroying evidence, and then hypothesize the cause. There is nowhere in the NFPA guidelines, or any investigation guidelines that we have found that call for the destruction of evidence, and then the investigation.
We often hear people say it was about the money in the recycled steel. We haven’t been able to find one other example of a mass murder, and engineering catastrophe where the evidence was destroyed prior to determining cause, for the money. Don’t accept that excuse. Willful destruction of evidence before an investigation completion is only done to hinder the investigation or hide the truth!
Glenn Corbett, Professor of Fire Sciences, discusses the destruction of evidence.
In Congressman Curt Weldon’s (R. Pennsylvania) testimony (below) about Able Danger he reports a D.O.D. official was ordered to destroy 245 terabytes of data related to prior knowledge of 9/11. This is obvious destruction of evidence. And, the 9/11 Commission Report mentions nothing of this! Our Constitution has been eviscerated because of 9/11, and people are still dying today. Don’t we deserve the truth?
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We believe TOWER 7 is the crux of the entire investigation. There was no official report as to how a 47 story concrete and steel high rise, that was not struck by an airplane, collapsed at near free-fall speed into it’s own footprint. That is until this week (8/21/08) - Almost 7 years later after unrelenting public pressure.
On Thursday, NIST released the following: “Our study found that the fires in WTC 7, which were uncontrolled but otherwise similar to fires experienced in other tall buildings, caused an extraordinary event,” said NIST WTC Lead Investigator Shyam Sunder. “Heating of floor beams and girders caused a critical support column to fail, initiating a fire-induced progressive collapse that brought the building down.”
“Video and photographic evidence combined with detailed computer simulations show that neither explosives nor fuel oil fires played a role in the collapse of WTC 7,” Sunder said.
“Did investigators consider the possibility that an explosion caused or contributed to the collapse of WTC 7?
Yes, this possibility was investigated carefully. NIST concluded that blast events inside the building did not occur and found no evidence supporting the existence of a blast event.
In addition, no blast sounds were heard on the audio tracks of video recordings during the collapse of WTC 7 or reported by witnesses. According to calculations by the investigation team, the smallest blast capable of failing the building’s critical column would have resulted in a sound level of 130 decibels (dB) to 140 dB at a distance of at least half a mile, if unobstructed by surrounding buildings. This sound level is consistent with a gunshot blast, standing next to a jet plane engine, and more than 10 times louder than being in front of the speakers at a rock concert.
For the building to have been prepared for intentional demolition, walls and/or column enclosures and fireproofing would have to be removed and replaced without being detected. Preparing a column includes steps such as cutting sections with torches, which produces noxious and odorous fumes. Intentional demolition usually requires applying explosive charges to most, if not all, interior columns, not just one or a limited set of columns in a building.”
Now, do we have this straight. They investigated it. Although, they self admit they didn’t chemically test for residue. So, they are going off witness testimony, video, photographic, and audio evidence, of which they found none that had blast sounds or indicators. They also used computer models. And, lastly, they admit they did no further investigation for possible explosive charges because….it would have been hard to plant them?!? Did we read that right? So, with that logic, we no longer have to investigate any crime that would havebeen hard for someone to commit from here on out? Is this what we are going to stand for?
Quick, somebody call NIST! We have another “extraordinary event”…we found some evidence! Dr. Steven Jones already did the chemical analysis for them, and tested it in multiple labs. And, we have found the audio evidence and witness testimony that can clear up any doubts as to whether any blast sounds were heard by anyone. Also, look at the video above and see if it looks at all similar to a controlled demolition. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find any evidence, videos, pictures, or history of another high rise structural steel building collapsing due to fire.
So, you have to decide. Are you going to take a goverment agency’s report (one that has pathetically drug it’s feet, self-admittedly refused to test for residue, and ignored obvious “blast sound” evidence) as the final word? As NIST says, are you going to put all these “conspiracy theories to bed?” Or, are you going to take action and demand the real investigation our Brothers deserve!
If you’re still not convinced there’s more to it than we’re being told, then ask yourself: if Tower 7 did come down due to fire, why didn’t Tower 5? Tower 5 was much closer, had devastating structural damage from the Twin Tower collapses, and much more severe fires burning. But, it remained standing. So, did Tower 3,4, and 6. Look below. Do your own size-up. Our lives depend on the ability to guage when a building will collapse - test your skills.
Notice how we have a complete, multiple floor conflagration along with signifcant structural damage.
Tower 3 was closer to Twin Towers than WTC 7, and it had significantly more crush damage. But, building is still standing.
Tower 4 - Again, closer and more crush damage. Obvious significant core damage, but building is still standing.
Tower 6 - Again, closer than 7, and obvious massive core damage. But, building is still standing.
You decide, are you going to blindly believe what a government investigation team that refuses to test for explosives residue claims? Just because it would have been logistically difficult to place explosive charges, we don’t test for them? Look for yourself. Review the NFPA 921 guidelines-why did they so blatantly destroy evidence and refuse to test for exotic accelerants? Look at the video examples. You decide, does it appear to have every characteristic of a controlled demolition? How about when you compare it to all the other high-rise infernos we have examples of…all of which are still standing today! And, most importantly - don’t our fallen Brothers deserve the Truth?
Barry Jennings was Deputy Director, Emergency Services Department, New York City Housing Authority. He was inside Tower 7 when the second plane had struck tower 2. He very clearly states he heard multiple explosions well before the collapse of Tower 7, and he barely made it out due to these exlosions.
Listen very carefully to his timeline:
Here is his account on ABC moments after the incident - when it is most clear to anybody what they heard. Now, NIST says they have no witness accounts of “explosions”, maybe we can refer them to these videos.
Here’s another video NIST investigators should review.
Again, we are not saying this cannot be explained away. We ARE challenging NIST as to their claim of NO EVIDENCE of a blast event. We don’t solve crimes or building collapses by debating hypotheticals. We solve them by applying the Scientific method, testing for all possible causes, and thoroughly analyzing the structure, debris, dust, witness accounts, testimony, and documents. Again, you have to ask yourself why are they afraid to test for exotic accelerant residue?
In addition, no blast sounds were heard on the audio tracks of video recordings during the collapse of WTC 7 or reported by witnesses. According to calculations by the investigation team, the smallest blast capable of failing the building’s critical column would have resulted in a sound level of 130 decibels (dB) to 140 dB at a distance of at least half a mile, if unobstructed by surrounding buildings. This sound level is consistent with a gunshot blast, standing next to a jet plane engine, and more than 10 times louder than being in front of the speakers at a rock concert.”
Still don’t believe there’s ANY evidence of BLAST SOUND?
How about radio transmissions and testimony from FDNY members themselves.
Until we begin truly holding public officials accountable for their actions, our Brothers will continue to die needlessly. It is disgusting and unacceptable that so many of our Brothers died for a politician’s personal gain. We have to let our public officials know we will not stand for this, and we will never rest until they take responsibility for their crimes.
“The president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, Kevin Gallagher, held a news conference to urge Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and the City Council to conduct the investigation, saying he was deeply concerned for firefighters’ safety.”
“On Wednesday, the department’s 2,700 new radios were taken out of service. Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen had said that he was taking the action because a distress call from a firefighter trapped in a burning house in Queens on Monday went unheard by some of his colleagues.”
“We should not have New York City firefighters out in dangerous life-threatening situations with faulty or untested equipment,” said Mr. Gallagher, whose union represents the city’s 8,000 firefighters.”
“Let’s put blame where it belongs, starting with an outside investigation into who in the Fire Department ordered or authorized the purchase of these radios and who made the decision to put them into the field without a proper evaluation of this essential life-saving equipment,” he said.
“Mr. Gallagher’s said his concerns were in some measure intensified by inconsistencies between statements Mr. Von Essen made at a news conference the commissioner held Wednesday and details that emerged later about the contract.”
“Mr. Von Essen said at the news conference that the contract for the new radios was worth $4.5 million and that fire departments in Boston and Chicago were using the same product. But a report Friday night by WNBC-TV News said that the overall contract for the new Motorola digital communications network was worth $33 million and that the other cities’ departments did not use the system.”
Fire Officials Admit Procedural Lapse in Putting New Radios Into Service
New York Times - April 11, 2001
“Fire officials acknowledged at a City Council hearing yesterday that they had failed to follow a safety protocol developed after the deaths of two firefighters when they decided to buy $15 million worth of new hand-held radios that later had to be withdrawn from service.”
“The protocol directs the Fire Department to test new safety equipment fully and to consult the department unions before putting it into service. The system was developed by the Department of Investigation in 1980 after two firefighters died when a new type of safety rope snapped at a Manhattan fire.”
“And the report suggested that the department’s internal investigation into the radios was misguided. “It has been 20 days since the F.D.N.Y. commissioner’s decision to recall the XTS3500R digital radios,”" the report said, “and the F.D.N.Y. has yet to interview key witnesses or release any results of its reported investigation.”
“Fire Dept. to Start Reissuing Radios Pulled Last Year”
New York Times - August 6, 2002
“The Fire Department will begin reissuing new, but controversial, handheld radios to firefighters on Staten Island later this month and, if all goes well, will distribute them citywide in the fall, Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said yesterday.”
“The city had pulled the radios from service in March 2001, and resumed using older equipment, after a firefighter’s call for help during a Queens fire went unheard. But the performance of the older equipment on Sept. 11 has been criticized by some fire officers who say communication problems that day contributed greatly to the deaths of 343 firefighters.”
“Many firefighters, some using radios as much as 10 years old, apparently did not hear an evacuation order transmitted before the twin towers collapsed, a consultant for the city has concluded.”
“Panic and chaos on new tapes from 9/11″
San Francisco Chronicle - Thursday, August 17, 2006
“Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani testified several years ago that the firefighters who died were “standing their ground” to help victims.”
“But the release of the tapes Wednesday reinforced what earlier tapes, investigations and a new book — “Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11″ — have made clear: that Giuliani and his top aides did not put in place a clear chain of command for police officers and firefighters, which led to much confusion at the scene. And firefighters never heard calls to leave because they carried outmoded radios that did not work inside the stairwells of the burning towers.”
“After the South Tower collapsed, pilots in police helicopters used their radios to warn that the North Tower, too, was near collapse. But most of the 121 firefighters who died in the North Tower never heard those broadcasts. Indeed, some firefighters were not even aware that the South Tower had fallen.”
NYC Council Report
Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services
Oversight: The Procurement, Distribution and Testing of Digital Two-Way Radios by the Fire Department - April 10, 2001
“On March 14, 2001, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) issued new Motorola XTS3500R digital two-way radios (commonly referred to as “handie-talkies”) to firefighters throughout the City. On March 19, 2001, while firefighter Luke Healy was battling a fire in the basement of a home on Myrtle Avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens, his oxygen tank began to expire. As Healy attempted to exit the basement, his oxygen tank ran out. Initial reports indicated that Healy’s seven Mayday calls went unheard by firefighters at the scene and that they were only alerted to his need for assistance after a firefighter at another location, ten blocks away, heard a Mayday call from Healy. Subsequently, FDNY documents revealed that Deputy Chief Weinlein, who was at Myrtle Avenue, reported that he and another FDNY official at the scene heard a Mayday, but that when he used the radio to ask who transmitted the Mayday, no one answered. According to Deputy Chief Weinlein, Healy was eventually found by officers who heard his calls for help from the basement, not over the radio. On March 21, 2001, the FDNY announced that the following day, the newly issued radios would be recalled from the field with the intention of addressing operational issues with the radios and returning them to service shortly.”
“Subsequently, it was revealed that during the eight days the new radios were in the field, firefighters experienced numerous problems with them, such as delays in transmission, messages not being received, messages getting cut off, and an echoing effect contributing to poor sound quality.”
“Thus, despite its acknowledgment two years earlier that several manufacturers were developing technology that might meet FDNY’s CAI specifications, and in apparent disregard of its pledge to evaluate new technologies and products, the FDNY appears to have elected to accept a radio representing an entirely new communications technology from Motorola rather than conduct a competitive review of products and prices.”
“Compounding its failure to subject this new communications technology to a competitive procurement process, the FDNY also exceeded the 1997 contract’s ceiling on the number of radios to be procured (750 units) and the amount of the contract, $2.9 million. In December 1999, the FDNY ordered 2,700 XTS3500R radios from Motorola, and in 2000, ordered another 1,118 radios. The total cost for the 3,818 radios was approximately $14 million.”
“All information provided to date indicates that the XTS3500R’s were not adequately tested to ensure that they would meet the FDNY’s operational needs, and that FDNY firefighters and officers were not sufficiently trained in operating the new radios.”
“The FDNY has stated that its Rescue 2 unit tested the radios from July 23, 1999, to August 1, 1999. However, although the Rescue 2 unit tested an analog, VHF model of the XTS3500R, the FDNY purchased a digital, UHF model. Thus, the Rescue 2 unit never tested the radios or technology subsequently purchased by FDNY.”
Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani And 9/11 (Amazon)
By Wayne Barrett & Dan Collins
Chapter 7, Sounds of Silence
A thorough examination of The City’s sole bid process with Motorola as well as their failure to replace archaic radios with appropriately tested radios which subsequently lead to miscommunications and loss of lives on the morning of September 11, 2001.
THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING: REPORT AND ANALYSIS
U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series (pdf)
February 1993
“A major detriment to our ability to strengthen control of the incident was fire department on-scene communications. Communications were a serious problem from the outset.”
“Generally the problems were caused by one or more of the following factors:
The number of resources using channels;
Not enough channels for operational areas;
Distance problems - lost messages;
The inability to contact other agencies.”
“Fireground communications have become a major concern of FDNY…”
- Sec 2:6
THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS INTEROPERABILITY SURVEY
A 192-City Survey (pdf)
June 2004
“The United States Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more.”
“Our new survey finds that more than 77 percent of the cities in the survey are interoperable across police and fire departments.”
Welcome to Firefighters for 9/11 Truth. My name is Erik Lawyer, and I am the founding member. I am currently a full time firefighter, and have been assigned to Ladder 3 in the City of Seattle for the last 13 years. Before that I was with the City of Sacramento as a Firefighter Paramedic. I first began working in Emergency Services in 1988 in the Sacramento area with a 911 private paramedic ambulance company. I have 20 years experience in Emergency Services. I earned my pilot’s license in 1987, and have been recreationally flying since. I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics from the University of California at Davis in 1993, with 2 years of elective Engineering courses, and a Minor in Psychology.
I would like to share my story concerning September 11, 2001 and the events that led to the creation of Firefighters for 9/11 Truth. I, like most Americans, remember exactly where I was when I saw the attacks and had the overwhelming urge to take action. I was shocked, outraged, scared and confused. I called my Battalion Chief and asked if Seattle would be sending any teams to help. I was a member of the MMST (Metropolitan Medical Strike Team), and figured we would be needed and I wanted to know where to report. Due to the nature of the incident we were not called up, and instead USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) teams, including Seattle’s, were sent.
I first visited Ground Zero in October of 2001 with several firefighters from Seattle. We went to pay our respect and show support. We raised money for our brother firehouses and attended the funerals of our fallen Brothers. I was deeply moved and humbled by the community support, the sheer enormity of the tragedy along with the courage and compassion of the FDNY “Brotherhood.” Even though I listened to their stories for days, I cannot even begin to imagine the pain and tragedy they suffered on that day and the years to come. I vividly remember the anger I felt, the intense desire for vengeance, and the feelings of helplessness. I was relieved when the government identified the terrorists and satisfied that we were going to have a swift deliverance of “justice.”
I’ve been a conservative my entire life; a registered Republican since I could vote. I am a self proclaimed Patriot with George Washington as one of my all time heroes. So when conspiracy theories quickly surfaced, and “Liberals” cried foul on the erosion of civil liberties, I chalked it up to their political beliefs and bitterness towards the Republican President. I read many debunking articles - including Popular Mechanics - and watched many debunking videos including, Farenhype 9/11. I was convinced that these “Liberals” were misinformed and were grasping at straws to discredit the “official” story. Like most people with strong opinions, instead of looking at all the facts, I was specifically looking for anything that supported my own beliefs. As soon as I discovered any inaccuracy in a conspiracy claim, I wrote it off. My father, a big city cop and Korean War veteran, loved to joke, “don’t confuse me with the facts, I have my mind made up!” Well, I had my mind made up. I told conspiracy theorists like my own Truck Officer, Lt. Earl Emerson, that they were insane if they thought anyone other than the terrorists did this. Heck, we have ID cards, security camera videos, Bin Laden confession tapes - how much clearer did they need it? The years went on and I was satisfied in my beliefs. I even believed these “Wackos” that doubted the “official” story were distracting our country from focusing on the real threat of terrorism.
Fast forward to March of 2008. A great friend of mine with a Business degree from West Point, as conservative and non-conspiratorial as they get, came over one night to talk about what he saw happening in the economy. He provided some disconcerting evidence that we as a nation are at risk of entering into another depression; he pointed out historical parallels where other countries, such as Germany, suffered economic collapse. THAT was my eye opener. I became obsessed researching things such as economies, who is in control of currencies, what causes depressions, who profits during war, etc. So many things kept pointing to 9/11. Another one of my dad’s favorite quotes was, “believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.” So, I looked at both sides and quickly noticed a pattern. On one side, the general media ignores some of the most compelling evidence that contradicts the “official” story. On the other side, science based conspiracy sites such as Architects and Engineers for 911 Truth and Scholars for 911 Truth and Justice, along with the experience based sites such as Patriots Question 911 and Pilots for 911 Truth, fully explore the evidence. Their research points out numerous inconsistencies and raised serious questions about the “official” story. To be fair, I looked at the debunking sites again. On Popular Mechanics (the source often quoted for confirmation of the “official” story), as well as most debunking sites I usually found name calling and smear tactics. In my own personal experience, as soon as someone needs to resort to name calling and smearing during a debate, they’re not very secure in their “facts” or the “truth.” I found that many of these debunking sites also failed to tackle some of the most compelling evidence. They would often bring up the most ludicrous of conspiracy claims, debunk those, offer far reaching explanations, or never fully explain the “how.” They often made you really have to stretch to believe that so many catastrophic failures - which had never happened before - could all occur separately, on one day, and multiple times (e.g. failure to intercept aircraft x 4 for the first time in history; complete collapses x 3 for the first time; no obvious plane wreckage x 2+ for first time, etc.). Even the NIST report only describes the EVENTS that led to the moment of collapse of Towers 1 & 2, not the SCIENCE behind the instantaneous collapse of the cold steel below the impact zone…because it is that obvious? How does that teach us how to improve building safety?
The clincher for me was when I learned that the lead investigators on the crime - the FBI - do not even have the 9/11 attacks mentioned on the Bin Laden page of the FBI’s Most Wanted website list due to LACK OF EVIDENCE. How can it be that we were led to believe Osama bin Laden was responsible for the 9/11 attacks, yet the FBI doesn’t publicly accuse him? Remind me again why we are at war and have given up so many rights our Founding Fathers gave us???
When I voiced my new opinion and concerns most of my friends listened. I think because they were shocked that a staunch Conservative could have such a major shift, or because they thought I had lost my mind and wanted to diagnose the cause. Curiously, some became angry at my new questions and actually thought I was supporting Terrorists with my concerns. Being a part of that same mindset myself only a few weeks ago, and then having a major shift in consciousness, really shook me to the core. What has happened to our collective consciousness that we believe anyone who doubts the “official” story or what the government tells us is an enemy? Anyone who asks for the Truth is labeled a “Wacko” or “Terrorist Sympathizer?” What has happened to us? Are we not founded on Freedom of Speech and taught to check our Government?
Through my research I learned that many mainstream people, government officials, pilots and regular “Joes” actually doubt the “official” story. Yet the media still treats “Truth” seekers like they have a mental disorder, are few and far between, and even dangerous. I’ve since learned there are major news stories concerning 9/11 that the media won’t cover. Do you know about Tower 7? And, did you know that Japan, who lost 24 of their citizens in the 9/11 attacks, has held hearings this year on the possibility that the “official” story isn’t the truth? Why hasn’t the media covered THIS? I’ve since learned about the whistleblowers that have been silenced. There are many top pilots (including pilots who have flown those specific aircraft) who say they could not have performed the maneuvers at those speeds while physically encountering the G-Loads and overcoming control issues associated with high speeds. Now, I’ve been a private pilot for over 20 years and have competed in spot landing, aerobatic and maneuver contests. I know how difficult it is to perform precision maneuvers at moderate speeds, let alone full speed, and I would never dream I could do the same in a jumbo jet.
To be honest, I was asleep at the wheel, and relied on what I was being told by mainstream media. The same media, whose parent corporations, are some of the largest suppliers of weapons in this war. Before this “awakening” I had no idea the extent of our civil liberties that had been eroded in the name of Terrorism. I had never really wrapped my brain around what legalized torture means. I had always claimed America was noble. Just look at how we treated POW’s during WWII and Vietnam compared to our enemies. That separated us. We were setting the example of Human Rights to the rest of the world. Sure, you’ll always have individuals that will take things too far, but Government sponsored torture? What has happened to our country? What kind of example are we setting for our children, and the world? You would be interested to learn how many of our own rights have been stripped away recently. Look up the Military Commissions Act of 2006, the John Warner Defense Authorization Act, Homegrown Terrorism Act and Presidential Directive 51. It is amazing the rights we have all lost in the past couple of years and very little is covered by the U.S. media.
After discovering this, I applied the “common sense” test that my Grandfather always said wasn’t so common. Why would a government so aggressively suppress truth and blatantly destroy evidence if there was nothing to hide? Why has every testimony from sworn government and military officials that points to “prior knowledge” been stricken from the 9/11 Commission Report? How did paper business cards, cloth bandanas, and plastic ID’s that implicate the terrorists survive so neatly through jet fueled fireballs hot enough to destroy titanium and steel? I’ve seen bodies burned beyond recognition, yet I have never found one that was wearing unburned clothing. These questions alone are enough to make me risk everything for a real investigation and accounting. Sadly, there are many more questions! This has nothing to do with party politics for me anymore. This is about saving our Country and pledging allegiance to our Flag not the Government, to protecting the principles America was founded on, not the beliefs of a few people in power. I have the utmost respect of our Soldiers and the sacrifices they have made, and continue to make. This is about defending what these countless men and women have died for. This is about defending the freedoms they gave us- about defending the Constitution, and about protecting the future for our children.
When I truly realized the enormity of the effect 9/11 has had on our Rights, our Economy, our Beliefs, our Fears, our Intolerances and our Government - I felt fear, then anger, then the need to take action. Bill Chickering said it best, “Anger is a very appropriate and necessary response to an injustice. But stand back now; the truth, clearly spoken, is always your best weapon. Calmly spoken, it can burn a hole through the hardest heart.” When I realized the extent of the force and attitudes working to silence those who peacefully ask questions, demand answers, and seek truth, it became clear to me that our Country is in serious trouble and I must now stand alongside those Patriots who seek Truth and Constitutional Restoration.
Our Founding Fathers would be disgusted with what we have let happen. To sum up their beliefs, “Those who sacrifice Liberty for Security deserve neither.” I now recognize the true Patriots. They are not the ones blindly following, always believing and defending their government; they are the ones asking questions, demanding answers, and defending The Constitution. As Mark Twain so eloquently stated, “In times of change, the Patriot is a scarce man; brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot.”
My fellow Firefighters and Citizens, I ask you to at least inform yourself. Take the time to look, with an open mind, at the events surrounding 9/11 and the changes that have been made to our Constitution. Have the courage to weigh the possibilities. Remember, “Only a brave person is willing to honestly admit, and fearlessly face, what a sincere and logical mind discovers.” Ask yourself, do we really need to erase what our Founding Fathers fought so hard to create in the name of Terrorism? Make your own informed judgment and have the courage to consider the tough questions. If you too feel the call to action, we desperately need your help.
As Firefighters we immediately respond to, and risk everything for a “Mayday” call. Most Firefighters go an entire career without calling a “Mayday”. We know our Brothers only call one if someone is in serious peril and they can’t handle it themselves. By the Grace of God, I have never had to call a “Mayday” on the fireground or in the air. But, I am calling one now on our soil. “MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY!!!” Our Country, Our sick Brothers and Sisters desperately need your HELP.
NFPA 18.15 Analyze Fuel Source. “All available fuel sources should be considered and eliminated until one fuel can be identified as meeting all of the physical damage criteria. For example, if the epicenter of the explosion is identified as a 6ft (1.8 m) crater of pulverized concrete in the center of the floor, fugitive natural gas can be eliminated as the fuel, and only fuels that can create seated explosions should be considered. Chemical analysis of debris, soot, soil, or air samples can be helpful in identifying the fuel. With explosives or liquid fuels, gas chromatography, mass spectrography, or other chemical tests of properly collected samples may be able to identify their presence.”
Were metal and debris tests done to test for residue of fuels that can cause a 110 story steel structure to turn to dust and collapse at near free fall speed?
Did we miss something? Doesn’t 18.15 ”analyze fuel source” say test for all fuel sources that can cause the type of damage we saw? Doesn’t 19.2.4 “exotic accelerants” say melted steel or concrete is a sign of high temperature accelerants? Doesn’t 18.12.2 “high explosives” say fuel-air mixtures do not produce the type of damage we saw? Didn’t the video and testimonial evidence suggest explosions?
Well, some others did test for them, and here’s what they found.
From 911Research.org we have the following:
Although virtually all of the structural steel from the Twin Towers and Building 7 was removed and destroyed, preventing forensic analysis, FEMA’s volunteer investigators did manage to perform “limited metallurgical examination” of some of the steel before it was recycled. Their observations, including numerous micrographs, are recorded in Appendix C of the WTC Building Performance Study. Prior to the release of FEMA’s report, a fire protection engineer and two science professors published a brief report in JOM disclosing some of this evidence. 1
The results of the examination are striking. They reveal a phenomenon never before observed in building fires: eutectic reactions, which caused “intergranular melting capable of turning a solid steel girder into Swiss cheese.” The New York Times described this as “perhaps the deepest mystery uncovered in the investigation.” 2 WPI provides a graphic summary of the phenomenon. …read entire article.
And, Dr. Steven Jones analyzed dust samples and found the following:
We’re seeing a very disturbing pattern. Every indicator to test for explosives is here. This was one of the largest mass-murders on American Soil. This was the first time in history any high-rise steel and concrete building collapsed due to fire, let alone three. Every possibility should have been thoroughly investigated. However, the evidence was clearly destroyed. The official investigators refuse to thoroughly test for “controlled demolition.”
You have to ask yourself….WHY? What is there to hide?
What’s the saying? If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck….?!?
NIST Claims “New Phenomenon” Occurred For First Time Ever In Collapse Of WTC 7
Yet fails to address why ground zero workers and media outlets had prior knowledge of an “extraordinary event” never before observed an hour in advance, plus myriad of other ignored issues
We are actually being asked to believe the impossible - that WTC 7 was the only building in history to have defied all precedent and suffered a complete and almost instantaneous collapse from fire damage alone, despite this being an impossibility if one accepts the basic laws of physics as accurate.
In its final report on the collapse of WTC 7 that news outlets are reporting “puts 9/11 conspiracy theories to bed,” NIST claims that the never before observed “new phenomenon”of “thermal expansion” was to blame for the destruction of the building, a completely ludicrous conclusion in a report that simply ignores eyewitness testimony and hard evidence that points to the deliberate demolition of the structure.
NIST completely fails to address prior knowledge of the building’s collapse, including why news outlets like the BBC and CNN reported that the building had collapsed an hour before it actually fell, as well as firefighters on the scene who are heard on video saying, “Keep your eye on that building, it’ll be coming down soon.”
If the collapse of WTC 7 came as a result of a “new phenomenon” and an “extraordinary event” that had never happened before in the history of building collapses, then why did news stations and ground zero workers know it was about to happen a hour or more in advance?
This on its own completely destroys the very foundation of NIST’s assertion that a “new phenomenon” was responsible for the collapse.
Which is the more likely scenario - that ground zero officials and media outlets got word that the building was going to be “pulled” - or that they employed clairvoyant powers of deduction that enabled them to foresee an event that had never happened before in history to a building that was structurally reinforced and had suffered limited fires?
NIST claims that the collapse of Building 7 is “The first known instance of fire causing the total collapse of a tall building.”
We are actually being asked to believe the impossible - that WTC 7 was the only building in history to have defied all precedent and suffered a complete and almost instantaneous collapse from fire damage alone, despite this being an impossibility if one accepts the basic laws of physics as accurate.
The issue of molten metal, which was discovered under both the twin towers and WTC 7, suggesting an extremely hot burning agent was used in the demolition process, is completely ignored in NIST’s report, despite it being acknowledged in Appendix C of FEMA’s World Trade Center Building Performance Study, which stated:
Evidence of a severe high temperature corrosion attack on the steel, including oxidation and sulfidation with subsequent intergranular melting, was readily visible in the near-surface microstructure. A liquid eutectic mixture containing primarily iron, oxygen, and sulfur formed during this hot corrosion attack on the steel. The severe corrosion and subsequent erosion of Samples 1 and 2 are a very unusual event. No clear explanation for the source of the sulfur has been identified.
Speaking during a press conference that was called to counter NIST, Richard Gage, founder of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth and a member of the American Institute of Architects, dismissed the report.
“Tons of [molten metal] was found 21 days after the attack,” said Gage in an interview with a Vancouver, Canada television station. “Steel doesn’t begin to melt until 2,700 degrees, which is much hotter than what these fires could have caused.”
“There are holes in this story that you can drive a truck through,” he added, citing NIST’s claim that no evidence suggested loud explosive booms accompanied the collapse of the building by reminding that Thermite, a steel cutting agent, makes no explosive sound.
Even aside from this argument, there were numerous close proximity eyewitnesses who reported loud explosions, including NYPD officer Craig Bartmer and ground zero first responder Kevin McPadden (who also experienced the countdown before the building fell), but this fact was again simply ignored by NIST.
“FEMA found it,” said Gage. “Dr. Steven Jones found it, in the dust that landed in the entire area of lower Manhattan. And he finds it in the chunks of previously molten metal [from the towers].”
The core of NIST’s explanation, that an “extraordinary event” called “thermal expansion” was to blame for the sudden total collapse of the building is of course on the face of it a fraud when one considers the innumerable number of buildings that have suffered roaring fires across the majority of their floors and remained standing, whereas WTC 7 suffered limited fire damage across a handful of floors.
NIST also claims that the building only fell at 40% free fall speed, as if this isn’t suspicious in itself. Remember that this 47-story behemoth took just 7 seconds to completely collapse within its own footprint falling through the path of most resistance.
As the George Washington blog points out, “NIST said that WTC 7 fell at 40% slower than free fall speed. But it collapsed a lot faster than it would have if the structural supports were not all blown away at the same instant. 40% slower isn’t very impressive, that’s like arguing that a rock falling through concrete 40% slower than a rock falling through the air is perfectly normal.”
The George Washington blog has compiled a list of experts in structural engineering and demolition who have all questioned NIST’s conclusion. None of these individuals were approached by NIST to partake in their final report.
The former head of the Fire Science Division of the government agency which claims that the World Trade Centers collapsed due to fire (the National Institute of Standards and Technology), who is one of the world’s leading fire science researchers and safety engineers, a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering (Dr. James Quintiere), called for an independent review of the World Trade Center Twin Tower collapse investigation. “I wish that there would be a peer review of this,” he said, referring to the NIST investigation. “I think all the records that NIST has assembled should be archived. I would really like to see someone else take a look at what they’ve done; both structurally and from a fire point of view.” I think the official conclusion that NIST arrived at is questionable.
Two professors of structural engineering at a prestigious Swiss university (Dr. Joerg Schneider and Dr. Hugo Bachmann) said that, on 9/11, World Trade Center 7 was brought down by controlled demolition (translation here).
Kamal S. Obeid, structural engineer, with a masters degree in Engineering from UC Berkeley, of Fremont, California, says:
“Photos of the steel, evidence about how the buildings collapsed, the unexplainable collapse of WTC 7, evidence of thermite in the debris as well as several other red flags, are quite troubling indications of well planned and controlled demolition.”
Ronald H. Brookman, structural engineer, with a masters degree in Engineering from UC Davis, of Novato California, writes:
“Why would all 47 stories of WTC 7 fall straight down to the ground in about seven seconds. It was not struck by any aircraft or engulfed in any fire. An independent investigation is justified for all three collapses including the surviving steel samples and the composition of the dust.”
Graham John Inman, structural engineer, of London, England, points out:
“WTC 7 Building could not have collapsed as a result of internal fire and external debris. NO plane hit this building. This is the only case of a steel frame building collapsing through fire in the world. The fire on this building was small and localized therefore what is the cause?”
A Dutch demolition expert (Danny Jowenko) stated that WTC 7 was imploded
A prominent physicist with 33 years of service for the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC (Dr. David L. Griscom) said that the official theory for why the Twin Towers and world trade center building 7 collapsed “does not match the available facts” and supports the theory that the buildings were brought down by controlled demolition
To claim that the collapse of WTC 7 is “no longer a mystery,” as chief NIST investigator Dr. Shyam Sunder stated yesterday smacks of a desperate attempt to proclaim the authority of the official story by mere words alone, when in reality NIST’s laughable “new phenomenon” claim, the latest in a long line of changing explanations for the obvious demolition of Building 7, only heaps more embarrassment on NIST and makes the official 9/11 story look more untrustworthy than ever before.
A 9-11 rescue worker recently came forward to say he was told by FBI agents to “keep my mouth shut” about one of the “black boxes” a fellow firefighter helped locate at ground zero, contradicting the official story that none of the flight and cockpit data recorders were ever recovered in the wreckage of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers.
Honorary firefighter Mike Bellone claims he was approached by unknown bureau agents a short time after he and his partner, Nicholas DeMasi, a retired New York firefighter, found three of the four “black boxes” among the WTC rubble before January 2002.
The pair first claimed in an August 2003 book entitled Behind the Scene: Ground Zero to have found the data recorders.
DeMasi said the “black boxes”were found while he traversed “ground zero” in his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) with three federal agents.
FBI and New York fire officials have denied ever finding the voice and data recorders.
Now Bellone claims agents were adamant about keeping the discovery a secret.
“They confronted me and told me to not to say anything,” recalled Bellone, referring to one of three reddish-orange boxes with two white stripes he saw in the back of DeMasi’s ATV. “I said, ‘Give me a good reason.’ When they couldn’t, I told them I wouldn’t shut up about it.”
“Why should I? I have nothing to hide and nothing to gain. It’s the truth, and Nick and I are sticking to our story as we always have.”
Bellone said he and DeMasi were not the only 9-11 rescue workers to see the “black boxes.” He said there were several other witnesses and said he knows they have been silenced by federal agents.
“I know two or three others saw what went down, but they are not talking,” said Bellone. “They got to those guys after they talked to me. The only reason I can figure they are trying to hide the truth is that the government knows it screwed up, and the recorders would prove it.”
Asked to give names of the other witnesses, he said he wouldn’t break a fellow worker’s confidence by revealing his identity.
“I can tell you this, though, it was all very strange. I worked on the spaceship Columbia cleanup, and you know when something important is found and when something is not,” he said.
The day the “black boxes” were secretly carted away, agents acted like “something big was going down,” he added.
Bellone said he never learned the FBI agents’ names as this type of personal contact and information wasn’t exchanged between the civilian workers and government officials working side-by-side at ground zero.
“They had on their FBI jackets, but I’m sure I could pick them out of a lineup or recognize their pictures,” said Bellone.
The pair’s bombshell accusations blow a big hole in the official story as well as the findings in the recent 9-11 commission report.
In Chapter 1, footnote 76, there is the sole but definitive reference to the airline “black boxes”: “The CVR’s and the FDR’s [voice and flight data recorders] from American 11 and United 175 were not found.”
Asked if DeMasi and Bellone were questioned or subpoenaed, commission spokesman Al Felzenberg said: “I can’t tell you now if he was one of the 1,200 people we interviewed or if the book was one of the countless ones we researched. We explored every lead, but I will try to find out if we talked with him and get back to you.”
Bellone said commission members never contacted him or DeMasi and never asked the two to appear before the group even though the book was published well before the hearings commenced.
“I have been contacted by only one newspaper reporter, from The Philadelphia Daily News,” said Bellone, referring to an October 2004 story by reporter William Bunch, who recapped DeMasi’s statements as well as the usual official denials.
Those close to the 9-11 investigation said the recovery of the “black boxes” is important because they may hold vital clues about what really happened on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
The cockpit voice recorder uses a pair of microphones to capture all cockpit sounds for the last 30 minutes of a doomed flight. The flight data recorder is also significant since it records altitude, heading and airspeed.
Both recorders are designed to withstand enormous impact and heat. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said they should have withstood the conditions at the WTC.
And finding the boxes after a crash seems to be standard procedure, according to the NTSB.
“It’s extremely rare that we don’t get the recorders back,” said NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz. “I can’t remember another case which we did not recover the recorders.”
Bellone is retired and was made an honorary New York fireman for his efforts after 9-11. DeMasi has recently retired from Engine Co. 261, nicknamed the “Flaming Skulls.”
“As the end of the president’s term in office mercifully draws closer, his proposed budget is another example of his words not matching his deeds.
President Bush says he wants to protect Americans, but his budget proposal proves his words are meaningless. Once again, he has proposed eliminating or drastically reducing funding for important programs that make our neighborhoods, our citizens and our country safer.
A president interested in protecting Americans would not cut funding for the Homeland Security Department’s first responder grant programs. President Bush is surprisingly ignorant of the value that the FIRE Act and SAFER grants provide to the smallest towns and the largest cities across this country.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that President Bush is no friend of fire fighters because is a repeat offender. The president’s budget proposal for Fiscal 2009 proposes merely $300 million for the FIRE Act, the same amount he proposed in his Fiscal 2008 budget. He also proposes eliminating SAFER grant programs, just as he did in his Fiscal 2008 budget.
With his short-sighted budget proposal, President Bush has ignored the wishes of Congress, which made a very strong bipartisan statement last year when it saved the SAFER grant program and boosted funding for the FIRE Act. In the end, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle understood the value of the first responder grant programs, appropriating $560 million for the Fire Act and $190 million for SAFER grants.
The IAFF will again work with Congress to restore funding to the Homeland Security Department’s first responder grant programs and protect Americans, despite President Bush’s attempt to eviscerate our nation’s security.”
