06/12/2026
On the morning of September 11, 2001, FDNY Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer was on a routine call investigating a gas leak in lower Manhattan. Moments later, he looked up and witnessed Flight 11 crash into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Chief Pfeifer was the first chief to respond, and within minutes, he was inside the North Tower lobby establishing the initial command post.
With calm leadership, he began organizing rescue efforts, directing incoming fire units, and sending firefighters up the stairwells to evacuate trapped civilians. Among them was his younger brother, Lieutenant Kevin Pfeifer, who served with Engine 33. Kevin would not survive.
As the South Tower collapsed at 9:59 a.m., Chief Pfeifer quickly gave the order for evacuation. Minutes later, he narrowly escaped the North Tower’s collapse, shielding the filmmaker Jules Naudet—who had been documenting his work—with his own body as debris rained down. Despite the chaos, Chief Pfeifer stayed at Ground Zero, continuing rescue efforts and managing one of the worst disasters in American history.
In the years that followed, Chief Pfeifer became a leading voice in FDNY’s transformation. He created the Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness, guiding the department’s response strategies for future crises. Over a 37-year career, he rose to Assistant Chief and became the FDNY’s first Chief of Counterterrorism and Emergency Preparedness.
He retired in 2018 but returned in 2023 to serve as First Deputy Fire Commissioner, briefly stepping in as Acting Fire Commissioner in 2024. Chief Pfeifer has also taught at Columbia University, helping train future leaders in crisis management and public safety.
He is the author of Ordinary Heroes: A Memoir of 9/11, a deeply personal account of courage, loss, and the enduring strength of the FDNY.
