From his Bronx firehouse, NYC firefighter Mike Killarney actually saw the first place hit the North Tower of The World Trade Center. Like most, he thought it had to be a small plane.  After the second plane hit the South,  Engine 83 Ladder 29 was dispatched to Washington Street. In his haste, Mike assumed Washington Street was located by The World Trade Center,  so his  company headed downtown. As they sped down  the now closed-to-regular-traffic FDR Drive, Killarney turned to his officer and wondered aloud ,”Where are we going , exactly?”  A call was made to dispatch and it was only then that Killarney was corrected. His engine was actually supposed to go to a staging area, not downtown but uptown on 125thStreet.  Had they gone straight to The World Trade Center, most likely they would have been killed with the 343 other FDNY’ers who died in the collapse of the twin towers. 
When Killarney’s fire company arrived at the designated staging area, 4 or 5 other FDNY trucks were lined up waiting for them.  Again, had they not been delayed, the caravan most likely would have gotten to The World Trade Center  well before the first tower collapsed.  Though he is tortured by his mistaken assumption, Mike probably saved the lives of many fellow firefighters that day. As it was, Mike Killarney knew at least 50 of the FDNY’ers to die on that darkest day for NYC firefighters.

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