Statement from Michael Letts, CEO/Founder of InVest, and law enforcement/first responder who was at Ground Zero for search and rescue operations following the 9/11 attacks.
“The indelible image of the Twin Towers under attack is a vivid picture I share with every American citizen and a worldwide community. While many stood gripped in fear, I choked up with pride and grief, witnessing my fellow first responders choose their own deaths to save thousands of those they were sworn to protect.”
“I knew that shortly, (indeed within 48 hours) that an outpouring of courageous first responders from across this incredible nation would voluntarily mobilize ( I am honored to have been one, Chaplain, law enforcement, firefighter) to participate in search and rescue efforts at Ground Zero, and stand shoulder to shoulder with my first responder brothers and sisters in New York City.
“Instinctively, I knew the defense of freedom and justice would require guard units such as mine to be activated in a new fight to seek out those who caused the attacks..”
Within 48 hours after the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11/2001, Michael Letts was at Ground Zero. A unique opportunity as a South Carolina Police Officer/Chaplain and firefighter, his team was dispatched to New York to help provide relief for the overwhelmed NYPD first responders and police during the initial search and rescue operation following the terror attack.
First responders and law enforcement sent from other states to help following the days and weeks after the terror attacks caught a glimpse of the magnitude and scale of the disaster through conversations, prayer and emotion. The courage and duty that NYPD and FDNY men and women had was beyond heroic to run into those towers after the all-clear call had been given was without parallel.
The one remaining issue that haunts Letts is the fact that on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 the interoperability challenges for law enforcement and first responders in NYC as well as around the nation continue. The radio communication challenges encountered on September 11, 2001 by NYPD, FDNY, Port Authority Police and the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Services are well documented in the 9/11 Commission Report and heartbreakingly detailed in the Commission’s Staff Statement No. 13 on Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Ten years later, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on Funding Emergency Communications: Technology and Policy Considerations opens with this grim assessment: “The United States has yet to find a solution that assures seamless communications among first responders and emergency personnel at the scene of a major disaster.” The CRS has published no fewer than 37 reports for Congress on various topics related to emergency communication since 2001.
Discussion Points:
- When were you dispatched to Ground Zero and how long were you there?
- What were you doing while there, since your skillset was pretty unique: being a police department chaplain and firefighter?
- What was 9/11 like for you and do you still think about it?
- Interoperability in your experience is still a serious issue now 20 years ago 9/11, why?
- Is interoperability money included in the $3.5 trillion Biden infrastructure bill?
GUEST: Michael A Letts is the CEO and Founder of In-VestUSA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bullet-proof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.
MEDIA CONTACT: Celinda Hawkins cemison@gmail.com or Tamara Colbert at 626-244-5571 tamara@ohsweetliberty.com
