Interview202040 min640×360

Nicolino Lisio oral history interview conducted by Laurel Gumpert, July 13, 2020

Lisio, Nicolino

History

At the Library of Congress

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About

On 9/11, Nick, an officer in the NYPD, witnessed mayhem when he arrived at the WTC site. It felt like a warzone with smoke, dust, debris, and the awful smell of burnt tires in the air. He was concerned about the air quality and the chemicals they were breathing in, but he was not given protective gear until a couple of weeks later. He spent the day patrolling and looking for survivors who needed help, still in disbelief about what had happened. The situation became more organized in the days that followed as the National Guard set up perimeters and the NYPD gave out orders. Nick's responsibilities ranged from doing crowd control at Ground Zero to searching through debris at the Staten Island Landfill, where he was finally given protective equipment. He can never forget the image of officers on a police boat picking out remains from the water or the horrible smell that pervaded the area. The experience has left him with anxiety, panic attacks, and other health issues. Even though he felt unity with the other police officers, he did not feel like they were given proper professional support, such as counselors to speak with. Despite this, Nick would do it all over again. He saw how united America can be and how people have the capability of caring about each other.

Archive
Library of Congress, in Library of Congress
Licence or status
Rights statement at the Library of Congress, as the Library of Congress states it.
Credit
Library of Congress
Language
English
Country
United States
Who can watch
The archive gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from its collection and subjects. How films are placed