The City of New York Fire Department has responded hundreds of times to the World Trade Center (WTC) since it was first occupied in 1970.  These responses normally consist of minor fires or false alarms but have included major fires such as the one that occurred on February 13, 1975.  None of these experiences could have prepared FDNY for what was to occur on February 26, 1993.

The bombing of the WTC was an event of immense proportions, the largest incident ever handled in the City of New York Fire Department’s 128-year history — so complex that it was effectively several major multiple-alarm fires combined into one.  In terms of the number of fire department units that responded, it was the equivalent of a 16-alarm fire.

The statistics are staggering: Six people died and 1,042 were injured.  Of those injured, 15 received traumatic injuries from the blast itself.  Nearly 20 people complained of cardiac problems, and nearly 30 pregnant women were rescued.  Eighty-eight firefighters (one requiring hospitalization), 35 police officers, and one EMS worker sustained injuries. It is estimated that approximately 50,000 people were evacuated from the WTC complex, including nearly 25,000 from each of the two towers.  Fire alarm dispatchers received more than 1,000 phone calls, most reporting victims trapped on the upper floors of the towers.  Search and evacuation of the towers finally were completed some 11 hours after the incident began. A nitrourea bomb, in excess of 1,000 pounds, with hydrogen cylinders to add impact, was detonated in the now-infamous yellow Ryder Econoline van on the B-2 level of the parking garage, causing massive destruction that spanned seven levels, six below grade.  The L-shaped blast crater on B-2 at its maximum measured 130 feet wide by 150 feet long.  The blast’s epicenter was under the northeast corner of the Vista Hotel. FDNY ultimately responded to the incident with 84 engine companies, 60 truck companies, 28 battalion chiefs, nine deputy chiefs, and five rescue companies and 26 other special units (representing nearly 45 percent of the on-duty staff of FDNY).  The fire department units maintained a presence at the scene for 28 days.