Tony, a retired FDNY firefighter with decades of experience, shares his firsthand account of September 11th and his career with the fire department. He worked at Ground Zero for over 10 hours on 9/11, searching through debris and voids for survivors alongside his crew.

The conversation covers Tony's experiences during the World Trade Center attacks, including witnessing Building 7 burn all day before its collapse. He discusses the health impacts on first responders, referencing Breath by James Nestor regarding ground zero lung conditions that affected 70% of workers.

Tony also shares stories about the FDNY brotherhood, including his friend Jerry Nevins who saved his life in a fire before dying at Ground Zero the next day. The discussion touches on FDNY Boxing Club's charity work and Tony's recently published memoir Tales from the Tiller, which chronicles his journey through the fire department.

Ground Zero: 10 Hours in Hell on September 11th

Tony arrived at Ground Zero at 11:30 AM and worked until 9:30 PM, climbing through debris and searching voids while hearing pass alarms from motionless firefighters echoing throughout the site.

Building 7 burned continuously from the moment they arrived: "Building 7 was on fire from the moment we got there. Every floor burned. Every floor" - Tony, contradicting explosion theories.

The first body Tony encountered was when another firefighter told him "you're standing on somebody" - a man in a suit looking up at him from the debris.

At 9 PM, ironworkers arrived with heavy machinery and cranes, creating a parade-like scene with workers hanging off machines with fists in the air, giving hope they could make progress.

Ground Zero Lung: The Hidden Health Crisis

Breath by James Nestor, a New York Times bestseller, documents ground glass lung conditions affecting first responders who inhaled toxic dust at Ground Zero.

The dust cloud contained over 2,500 contaminants from pulverized offices, computers, and fluorescent lights, creating World Trade Center lung injury in 70% of workers.

Firefighters lost up to 12 years of lung function, with longer exposure at the site correlating to worse health outcomes over the following months.

Jerry Nevins: A Life Saved, A Hero Lost

Jerry Nevins from Rescue One saved Tony's life during a fire when Tony got trapped in a closet with his ears burning: "Jerry, I can't find my way out" - Tony.

Jerry used an illegal bite bar breathing apparatus instead of a full mask, allowing him to communicate and guide Tony to safety as the room was about to ignite.

Jerry transferred to Rescue One the day after saving Tony's life, then died at Ground Zero on 9/11 - Tony never got to thank him for the rescue.

Rescue One operated from 42nd Street in Times Square, with Jerry earning multiple medals for scaffolding rescues and building emergencies in Midtown Manhattan.

FDNY Boxing and Brotherhood Charity Work

Bobby Maguire runs the FDNY Boxing Club, raising hundreds of thousands annually for Tunnels to Towers Foundation through the Battle of the Badges fights against police.

Tunnels to Towers provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families, plus specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans.

Bobby's nephew Alan, a Rockaway lifeguard and surfer, died on his first day with FDNY at Ground Zero, motivating Bobby's continued search efforts at the site.

The boxing matches feature international competition in England and Ireland, with fights sometimes erupting into full brawls between firefighters and police.

Firehouse Stories and Department Evolution

Tony's crew once knelt on a headless, limbless corpse during a murder-arson fire, thinking it was a couch cushion until the smoke cleared and the boss yelled "holy shit."

A probationary firefighter's softball injury was mistakenly treated as third-degree burns by a fire department doctor, leading to fraudulent injury claims and magazine coverage.

The Happy Land Social Club fire in the Bronx killed 87 people from "a gallon of gas and a match," with firefighters initially unaware they were crawling over bodies.

Tales from the Tiller chronicles Tony's complete FDNY journey, written with his son and wife, including firehouse recipes like clam sauce casino alongside heroism stories.