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Many of you have called or e-mailed us, asking for information about members of the New York City Fire Department you have met at WFS conferences or heard about in our newsletter.

Lt. Brenda Berkman (former board president of WFS, and one of our most active and visible members) was among the personnel who responded after the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. She was assigned to search and rescue operations at the scene for most of the next two days.

New: Read an interview with Brenda Berkman by WFS Associate Editor Linda Willing, posted 9/25/01, about her experiences at the World Trade Center

WFS received the following message from her two days after the incident:

"We are working 24 on / 24 off for the foreseeable future. It is very difficult here.

"300-400 firefighters are missing. Most are from the division I work in now, and the division I worked in as a firefighter before I was promoted, so I know probably half of those people. Five are from my firehouse. Rocky (Captain Rochelle Jones) has 13 missing from her firehouse. Amazingly, it seems that none of the women firefighters are missing.

"I can't write much now, but we all appreciate everyone's concern. We need your prayers and help."



Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all of the emergency response personnel on the scene in Manhattan and at the Pentagon as they continue working through these difficult days.

Updated 9/13/01 5:00 p.m. CDT


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