The Second Plane Hit the South Tower

On 9-11 as firefighters climbed the stairs, FDNY leadership marshaled in the lobby of the World Trade Center's north tower. Few watching the towers burn expected them to collapse because until then no skyscraper in the world had ever collapsed after a fire. Even though first responders had a plan they were hobbled by communication problems that ultimately doomed many trapped in the burning buildings. Arriving emergency personnel found their radios difficult to work. Mayor Rudy Giuliani decided to build an emergency operation center for all of New York City and placed it astingly in the heart of the WTC complex.