NYC DDC 9/11 Documentary: DDC Professionals Speak to DeWitt Clinton High School Students

On September 17th, 2021, AP Government students from DeWitt Clinton High School participated in a speaker presentation focused on the documentary “NYC DDC 9/11" which reveals behind-the-scenes details of the World Trade Center clean up. The PBS documentary chronicles the efforts of the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) as it led the World Trade Center cleanup effort 20 years ago. The agency safely managed the debris pile so that the search for survivors could continue. DDC also removed 1.8 million tons of debris from Ground Zero so that the rebuilding could begin.

Featuring historic footage interspersed with interviews of DDC staff who worked at Ground Zero after 9/11, often for months without a break, the documentary “NYC DDC 9/11" is a poignant look at the effort, through recollections of City professionals who stepped into bedlam in the hours after the World Trade Center was attacked and used their construction management expertise to take control and bring order to the chaos. The film shows how DDC organized a site plan that divided Ground Zero into four sectors and then engaged with contractors and trade unions to ensure each sector was safely cleared, paying particular attention to the needs of first responders who were searching for victims in the debris while fires continued to burn, and the Army and National Guard secured the area.

The around-the-clock demolition and salvage effort eventually involved hundreds of workers, stretching from Lower Manhattan to sorting and storage areas at Fresh Kills in Staten Island, airplane hangars at JFK Airport and other sites in New Jersey, where debris was brought by barge and trucks.

Following the clearing of the site, DDC's work continued, with its engineers checking the structural integrity of more than 400 buildings in the surrounding area. DDC has also been a major part of the massive effort to reconstruct streets, infrastructure, and utilities destroyed in Lower Manhattan. This effort involved numerous individual infrastructure projects and that are still ongoing to this day.

“NYC DDC 9/11" can be viewed on PBS's website here.

DeWitt Clinton HS students in Mindy Krazmien’s AP Government class analyzed how city agencies and governments operate in response to natural disasters and watched DDC’s 9/11 videos that told the tragic story from an engineering and city agency perspective. DeWitt Clinton High School, located in the Norwood section of the Bronx, provides students with a hands-on real-world application through their pathways learning program. Students can participate in the Clinton School Pathways program which include Health and Hydroponics, Visual Arts and Printmaking, Music Production, Engineering, and Computer Science, MACY Honors, and Dance. Through these various tracks, students gain insight into the career fields that interest them and perform practical exercises to sharpen their skills. Many of the seniors in Ms. Krazmien’s class are in the Engineering Pathway and were interested in understanding the perspective of the engineers mending New York City after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

DDC staff members were part of the cohort of the many city agencies staffers that rushed to assist with the clean-up of the site and the search for missing persons. Two DDC staffers that assisted in these heroic efforts shared their personal experiences in a virtual presentation to 42 students. Infrastructure Division Deputy Commissioner Eric Macfarlane and Safety and Site Support Surveyor Rodney Harrison spoke about the camaraderie between NYC agencies who worked on cleanup and recovery efforts.

As part of the effort to help NYC recover from this tragedy, DDC professionals were stationed at Ground Zero between 6 to 8 months to ensure the safe removal of all debris. Deputy Commissioner Macfarlane and Mr. Harris recalled being aware of all their senses during their time at Ground Zero. Many local personnel and many who traveled from outside of NYC to assist with the rehabilitation efforts were impacted by job-related health hazards. The mental health of the workmen was also greatly affected.

“It was shocking and horrific. Today, I can say that I am fine, however, some workers had to leave the site because they were unable to handle the emotional stress and anxiety. The environment was toxic, but I had a job to do. I had to focus on completing that task,” stated Deputy Commissioner Eric Macfarlane to students who inquired about the mental health ramification of working at the site. Deputy Commissioner Macfarlane added, “DDC is the Navy Seals of City agencies!”

“The students from DeWitt Clinton High School were not born when 9/11 happened. This documentary is a critically important teaching tool that illustrates how the architects, engineers and other construction professionals were able to respond immediately in the aftermath of this horrific crisis. It showed how DDC managed cleanup of the wreckage of Lower Manhattan, even as the search for fellow New Yorkers continued,” said DDC Deputy Commissioner Lee Llambelis.

“It is imperative that the next generation of city employees understand the responsibility of civil service. As an employee with over 25 years of experience, I am honored to have the opportunity to pass on some of what I have learned throughout my years of service,” expressed Mr. Harrison, an alumnus of Canarsie High School.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction

The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor de Blasio’s long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $15.5 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc