I wish I possessed the skill to adequately describe how amazing these men are. I guess this is just one of those stand and salute moments.

And when Sully and Jeff Skiles hit the water, the Port Authority got Hudson River traffic stopped in six minutes.

Whenever we talk about drills at SRS, I remind them of that.

It has been said many times that on 9-11 we saw the worst of what humans can/will do to others; but, we also saw the best of humanity - as someone who survived 9-11, I agree; the most ordinary of people rose up to the most extraordinary challenges.

I don't know which way I would have gone on 9/11 -- towards the Towers or away. I hope it would have been towards them.

Some lessons I have learned over the years:

Do something! Even if you're not sure it's the right thing. Staying where you are and shivering, crying, yelling, or other fear reaction is totally useless.

If you see an accident, incident, someone down, at least stop and inquire. I have had my hand shaken by at least three emergency responders over the years for stopping.

Always be prepared. It is a quaint notion, but I have a little first aid kit, flashlights, knives and other items that I carry in my daily backpack. My car has a B.O.B. (BugOut Bag) in the trunk.

I watched the video -- I have to commend the USCGS commander for the choice to say "How many can you carry?" not "What is your limit?"

There were many heroes that day.

Plus 1000 to Jim.

I went away from the tower...my husband wanted me safe...I still can't think of anything we could have done to help.

I worked in a building above Grand Central...which in my mind was another target (multiple subways and commuter trains).

I wish I could have said I did more. Watching the video brought tears to my eyes. They are the men that do this work day to day and are rarely ever honored for their hard work. They are the men that keep us moving, usually silently. And they worked together beautifully when we needed it.

Thank you.

Katrina,

Thank you for the compliment, no matter how undeserved.

The only question I have for anyone post 9/11 or even post-hurricane Katrina:

Have you learned any skills that can help in the future? Did you learn first aid and/or CPR? Do you carry different stuff in your purse or backpack? Do you think about how to react in a mass casualty incident?

I do not advocate going to the extreme, but just being aware of how you felt back then and never leaving yourself feeling totally reactionary again is valuable.

I was in the Midwest when it happened. Nothing I could do on 9/11 or the immediate days afterward would have made a damn bit of difference.

Husband and I did attempt to volunteer in the days following...though they wanted iron workers, and construction skills. I wanted to do something.

I was carrying some items for a while...but got out of the habit...I will get back into it. Including the mouth cover to do cpr on someone I don't know.

I've read "Influence" by Robert Cialdini, and do know to assign other people roles. Never say "someone call 911!", say instead and point, "you in the brown striped shirt, call 911!" If you don't assign the role, everyone thinks someone else is doing it and then no one does (often).

I have to quibble with the "Do something, even if you aren't sure it's the right thing" comment. That can easily get you and more people killed. You have to stop and think for a second, asess if there is a need to do something Right Now, or if the situation can hold for more information.

Fire, of course, would be a time to just get out and worry about the rest later.

I have to quibble with the "Do something, even if you aren't sure it's the right thing" comment. That can easily get you and more people killed. You have to stop and think for a second, assess if there is a need to do something Right Now, or if the situation can hold for more information. -- momof4 at September 13, 2012 7:31 AM

I can agree with you M4, in general. It all depends on the situation.

You see a car go off the highway into a body of water. The person is unconscious but alive. Is the water shallow enough to leave them there until 911 responders arrive, or do you have to get them out of the vehicle? Could you paralyze the victim by moving him?

What if the vehicle rolled over and is on fire, but the driver's isn't involved yet?

An example is this video. The first two or three people made a decision to try and lift the car. Others joined in. They saved the guy.

You see two men, carrying guns in holsters in a non-threatening manner, walk into the bank, but you are unarmed. What do you do? Do you know the open-carry laws in your state?

I will have to say there is an assessment in that "Do something" rule. But it is in the Good Samaritan and a threat assessment aspect as well. However, doing nothing until someone tells you to is more likely to get you dead.

Think of the The Poseidon Adventure (1972) for an example.