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July 10, 2021

Indiana responders and 9-11 tragedy: anniversary approaches

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the 9-11-01 terrorist attacks, this month marks another milestone involving Indiana Task Force 1, which was among 28 elite rescue teams dispatched to Ground Zero in New York City to search for survivors. Thirty years ago, in July 1991, Indiana Task Force 1 - which includes firefighters, emergency medical technicians, engineers, search-dog handlers and other highly trained specialists - was being formed to respond to catastrophic events.

Hoosier History Live will explore the aftermath of the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City, when 62 professional rescuers from Indiana and their support crew arrived at the still-smoldering ruins. Some of the Indiana Task Force 1 members were among the first "boots on the ground" from across the country at Ground Zero after the suicide hijackings of airplanes that crashed into the World Trade Center's 110-story towers.

To explore what unfolded - as well as earlier and subsequent missions of the Indiana responders since the formation of the task force - Nelson will be joined by two guests:

• Tom Spalding, who was the public safety reporter for The Indianapolis Star when he accompanied the Indiana task force to Ground Zero for an "up-close and personal" look at their overwhelming mission. Tom, who left the Star in 2011 to become a public relations manager, is  working on a book that will include a chapter about Indiana Task Force 1's search efforts.
• And Dave Cook, a battalion chief for the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD), who served a critical function with Indiana Task Force 1 at Ground Zero because of his expertise as a structural specialist. A Ball State University-educated architect as well as a firefighter, Chief Cook was a captain with the Washington Township Fire Department (before its merger with IFD) in September 2001. He joined the Indiana task force in 1995 and continues to be part of the professional rescue team.

At Ground Zero, some of the Indiana Task Force 1 members arrived amid still-smoldering underground fires. Several of the Hoosiers barely escaped being "burned alive" when a 50-foot wall of fire shot up during an underground search for survivors, our guest Tom Spalding wrote in a subsequent account for Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, the Indiana Historical Society's magazine.

When the Indiana Task Force 1 rescuers returned to Indianapolis after their 10-day assignment at Ground Zero, they were greeted by a cheering crowd of 3,000 on Monument Circle. In downtown Indianapolis, a permanent memorial to the 9-11 victims was dedicated after the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.

Earlier that month, Tom Spalding was one of the guests on Hoosier History Live for a show marking that milestone. Since then, Tom has visited the National September 11 Memorial and Museum on the former site of the World Trade Center.

In addition to Indianapolis-based firefighters and emergency medical technicians, the Indiana Task Force 1 team members dispatched to Ground Zero included search dog handlers from South Bend, Fountaintown, Newburgh and Lebanon.

The beginnings of Indiana Task Force 1 can be traced to July 1991, a deadline posed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for teams across the country to submit applications to be part of the emergency response system.

During their mission in the aftermath of the 9-11 tragedy in New York, the Hoosier rescuers, along with Tom Spalding and other Indiana-based journalists, stayed in tents at the Javits Convention Center.

During our show, we will explore concerns about subsequent health problems experienced by some of the Hoosier rescuers. In sifting through the Ground Zero debris, they were exposed to fuel from the jets that struck the Twin Towers and other potentially toxic material.

"In the subsequent year, I thought the [Hoosier] task force members would become celebrities, but they did not," Tom wrote in his Traces account. "They simply returned to the old jobs they had left."

Last week, about 80 members of Indiana Task Force 1 traveled to Surfside, Fla., to help with search and rescue efforts after the collapse of a condominium building.

Although our guest Chief Cook is not among those deployed to the site of the tragedy in Florida, he has served as a structural specialist on more than 20 missions since he joined Indiana Task Force 1 in the 1990s. He is among only a few members who have been on the team since its earliest years.

Hoosier History Live seeks to hire part-time editor on a contractual, hourly basis

We need additional editing help! We are looking for someone who edits audio, as we need help with editing our encore shows and podcasts. It's also a big help if you love history, know how to write well and can also do voice-over work. 

We also need help with editing our website and newsletter, both of which are expansive. We need people who are self-starters and responsible, who are excited about our unusual project and would like to be part of a creative team. 

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For more specifics about our editing position or positions, email our producer at molly@hoosierhistorylive.org.

Questions about our organizational structure?

Hoosier History Live is a small, independent production group and is run as a small business. We have had a lot of challenges over the years because we do things well and also ask for money to support our work. We have kept the ship afloat, although it has been difficult. We intend to hold on to our unique media voice. Furthermore, we believe we are the only live talk show with call-in about a state's history. 

Think of us as a small newspaper, except that we are multi-platform. In addition to a live radio show, we offer podcasts, social media, weekly newsletter and a detailed website with an extensive, searchable archive. And think of how many media outlets are shrinking or disappearing!

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But our biggest asset is labor; the very bright and talented people who work on the project. All of our team has a passion for doing things well.

Nelson Price, host and historian
Molly Head, producer/general manager, (317) 927-9101
Mick Armbruster, associate producer

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For organizational sponsorship, which includes logos, links, and voiced credits in the show and in podcasts, email molly@hoosierhistorylive.org, or call (317) 927-9101 for information. Our podcast listens are increasing and we are being distributed on Indiana Memory and the National Digital Public Library. Grow with us as our podcast and internet presence expands! Thanks also to Visit Indy, Fraizer Designs, WICR-FM, Henri Pensis, Genesis Brown, Kielynn Tally, Heather McIntyre, Justin Clark, and many other individuals and organizations.

Thank you!

We'd like to thank the following recent, new and renewal contributors whose donations help make this show possible!

• David Yount
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• David E. and Lynne J. Steele
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