"Working in the shadows of incredible heroes": A 9/11 Story

On September 11th 2024 we hosted our 3rd Annual honor workout, THE DOM, in conjunction with our 3rd PROJECT ENDURE.

Officer Joe Cirrito completed a 24-hour workout in honor of his friend, Dominic Pezullo, who died in the line-of-duty when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11.

During the event, I had the honor to talk with a 27-year retired police officer from the same police department Officer Pezullo was from, The Port Authority Police Department.

Robert (Bobby) Egbert was there on 9/11. We talk about his experience that day and how it has affected his life since. I want to thank Bobby for being so open and honest with such a sensitive topic.

Bobby dedicates this podcast to the 65 Port Authority police officers who have died in the line-of-duty, especially the PAPD 37 who perished on 9/11.

Timestamps:

00:01:38 “The Dom”

00:03:15 The power of remembering our police lineage. “…working in the shadows of incredible heroes.”

00:04:54 LAPD Officer Joe Cirrito

00:09:25 Becoming a cop.

00:12:00 Choices made on 9/11

00:14:00 Deploying to The World Trade Center

0030:00 Trauma & balance.

00:32:00 The power of talking it out.

00:34:00 Unbecoming: When do we become human again?

00:36:00 The Gift of Acceptance

00:38:00 Surrounded by death.

00:40:00 The culture and the mindset

00:42:00 The Holy S*#t Factor

00:46:00 Empathy is not possible, and that’s ok.

00:50:00 Mental Health

00:52:00 Suicide

01:02:00 The reality of an OIS (officer involved shooting) and critical incidents.

01:13:00 Gratitude and a lesson learned: “The World Trade Center” vs “Ground Zero”

01:17:00 Big City vs Small Town policing

01:18:00 Podcast dedication

01:22:00 Captain Kathy Mazza

Some of Bobby’s publishings:

Running to honor the fallen - American Police Beat Magazine

https://apbweb.com/2018/11/running-to-honor-the-fallen/

Where our stories are - American Police Beat Magazine

https://apbweb.com/2024/05/where-our-stories-are/

https://apbweb.com/2019/08/rebuilding-after-9-11/

Misunderstood - American Police Beat Magazine

https://apbweb.com/2023/07/misunderstood/

Safety pin - American Police Beat Magazine

https://apbweb.com/2023/05/safety-pin/

https://apbweb.com/2023/02/keys/

The Deuce - American Police Beat Magazine

https://apbweb.com/2022/10/the-deuce/

My 9/11 — well, what I remember of it - American Police Beat Magazine

https://apbweb.com/2022/09/my-9-11-well-what-i-remember-of-it/

In memory of a homeless veteran - American Police Beat Magazine

https://apbweb.com/2019/11/in-memory-of-a-homeless-veteran/