The RF Factor Roll-up
September 10, 2021
Tomorrow will be the Twentieth Anniversary of September 11, 2001. It will be forever etched in my mind.
Isn’t it funny how the mind processes things. For me, when I remember back to that day, it seemed like a “forever day.” While it started out with a run, when I returned home I learned about the attacks from the news footage. Then the race was on to get my uniform and gear to head somewhere…no one knew where to go. Ground Zero, the office? Where? We staged and waited…and waited, and waited. No plan no mission.
Then on to meet with community leaders about the attack, before ending up at Liberty State Park with what seemed to be an endless amount of ambulances waiting to transport the injured that never arrived from across the river. The eery sight of lower Manhattan blacked out except for the fires burning in buildings high above the ground I can still see and smell today.
That “forever day” was then added to forever weeks as we learned about friends and colleagues killed in the attacks. Juggling new policing responsibilities - added over night - with attending funerals became the norm. This lasted for months, but my life and career path was forever changed.
Today, you will find so much of the spirit in lessons learned from September 11, and what occurred in its wake, on the RF Factor. Pete and I work hard at finding those stories that can be shared so the next generation of leaders can be inspired while today’s leaders can grow and expand further.
Over the past several days we were able to provide content that speaks to these lessons.
Episode #11 of the RF Factor with Pete Forcelli brings us back to that fateful day twenty-years ago.
Listen to Pete provide us his account of what he experienced at Ground Zero on September 11. The horrible things he saw, the dangers he faced, and the lessons he learned about hope, resilience, and unity that he still carries with him till this day. Leadership comes in many shapes and sizes, and rears it head in times of crisis and times of peace. It is not about popularity, it is about courage. Courage to face the unknown and inspire positivity.
You may also find inspiration in my recent blog post about how I was Changed Forever by the Stories of 9/11, and how important it is to share those stories for generations to come.
Also this past week, Pete Gagliardi reminds us of the importance of seeking justice and resolution and peace through an inspiring story about how teamwork, tactics, and technology. This was preceded by his truth through fiction article: The Drive-by at Ashmun and Webster.
Of course, we started the week with a compelling story from Mark Rusin. In the book, Justice for Dallas written by Mark and Priscilla Barton, ATF Agent Marko Novak is assigned to investigate one of the most brutal family murder scenes in northern California history. While an interesting and well written work of fiction in itself, the story was inspired by actual events - the brutal murder of a young girl, a torched crime scene, a single piece of evidence, and years of perseverance by dedicated investigators, for which Mark was among, who would not be deterred in their quest for justice, resolution and peace. The interview of Mark is the story behind the story that.
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