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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Course prepares firefighters for terrorist attacks in New York


NEW YORK — Fire Capt. John Feehan escaped death in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, worked for months on the smoldering pile and mourned the loss of his father and friends who died there — so he considered himself pretty knowledgeable about terrorism.

Now, with the help of an elite course taught at West Point for members of the New York Fire Department, he’s an expert.

"All the members of my company know that anguish, especially professionally, we felt after the attack,” said Feehan, who today will graduate from the course along with several colleagues. "Anything I can do prevent an event like that from happening again, I’m willing to do.”

Feehan and 32 others who are graduating today will be expected to use their expertise within the department by developing recommendations for changes in procedures that could help firefighters cope with an attack.

So far, 172 members of the Fire Department of New York have graduated from the course, which is now in its fifth year.

Joseph Pfeifer, chief of the department’s Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness, said the West Point program targets middle managers in the department who eventually will become leaders in the department.

"As they move up the ranks, they already have a serious understanding of the issue,” he said.





by the associated press

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