People cover their faces as they escape the collapse of New York's World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett)

FREDONIA — Carl Brandt, a former member of the Fredonia Fire Department, had a different assignment in September 2001. Just two weeks after the terrorist attacks occurred, Brandt found himself in the thick of the wreckage and destruction, there to help out doing whatever was needed.

While Brandt was not originally supposed to find himself at that scene, the first crew that was supposed to go had other obligations, and once New York state finally got things going, it was Brandt and his partner that were called to make the trip down.

“We were sort of the backup crew,” Brandt said. “The first crew had job obligations and couldn’t get away, which is why we were going down later. That’s the way things go.”

Once down there, Brandt said his role was search and recovery. Though a few survivors had been found by that point, with it being two weeks after the attacks occurred, Brandt knew they wouldn’t find anyone alive. With that in mind, a lot of their work focused on helping those who survived the attacks.

“When we got there, we were certain there wouldn’t be any more survivors so it was mostly recovery and we didn’t find anybody alive,” he said. “We were tasked with providing aid and transport to anyone who might have been hurt during the recovery process.”

When Brandt got down there, there were a few things that initially stood out to him immediately. One was the security. Brandt said there were no cameras, recorders, or cell phones allowed anywhere, they had to pass through military checkpoints and things had to be heavily decontaminated in order to prevent things from potentially spreading.

“It was very rigid,” Brandt said. “There was no fooling around.”

Another thing was the smell. Brandt said that even crossing the Hudson River, the smell of burning debris was so prominent all around that no matter how hard crews tried to control it, nothing seemed to mask it.

“When we first got there, we were told to stage ourselves right in front of World Trade Building Five,” Brandt said. “It was a stone’s throw from the pile. When we first saw the pile, it was eight or nine stories high and still smoking and burning with seven stories still underneath it. There was a lot of debris and they still had fire crews applying water to it, partially to keep the asbestos and other chemicals from becoming airborne. Not much luck there though, all of Manhattan could smell it. It was something I had never experienced before.”

But one other thing that’s stuck with Brandt to this day is how the people of New York City reacted. The normal hustle and bustle that New York City is synonymous with ceased in order to show appreciation and support to those individuals helping out after the tragedy occurred.

“A lot of people think that New Yorkers are hard to get along with or really cold and that couldn’t be more false than how it really was,” Brandt said. “We got there late at night, maybe 9 or 10 p.m. and the streets were lined with people holding signs saying thanks for helping us. Hundreds of people, not just a couple, were out there the whole time we were responding to calls. It gives you a whole different outlook on some of the New York City residents.”

Brandt said there was military presence from all over, from California, to Canada and other countries, all working together to help with whatever was needed. In total, Brandt was down there for four days, working 18 hour shifts as an EMT, firefighter, or whatever else was needed while barely finding any rest due to the circumstances.

“With everything going on, you really didn’t get any sleep,” Brandt said. “We were in an area where there were bunks and showers but we were with military members, fire fighters, EMS people, and all these different factions were together showering, chatting, or cleaning weapons. It was a nationwide effort to say the least.”

During that four-day span, Brandt got to experience some truly unforgettable moments. One of which came down by the pile of debris, where some prominent figures showed appreciation and recognition for the work Brandt and his partner were doing.

“As we were down by the pile, a priest came up to us and introduced himself as the new captain of the New York firefighters,” Brandt said. “He shook our hands and thanked us for being there, and standing next to him was Mayor Rudy Giuliani. It was very gratifying that these people took the time to individually thank people. We weren’t looking for anything like that.”

But possibly the most unforgettable moment for Brandt came while on the job clearing out debris at the pile.

“There were cranes, bulldozers, fire engines, and all this noise and then all the sudden everything went quiet,” Brandt said. “Everything got shut down and voices ceased. People stood at attention and out of nowhere, bagpipes started playing Amazing Grace as they were taking a body out covered in flags.

“It wasn’t just one,” Brandt continued. “They were coming from different areas all around. You looked around to see where they were and you couldn’t see them. If that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, nothing will. It was almost angelic.”

Even now, 20 years later, Brandt’s memories of being on the scene after the Sept. 11 attacks stick with him, and that experience is something he will never forget.