We had one of our volunteer chiefs was also a member of FDNY, and in the initial stages of the building collapse, he was missing,' DeCanio said.ĭix Hills Volunteer Fire Dept. 'As an active volunteer firefighter back then, they started to page us out. So, all of us, you know, 'It's probably somebody sightseeing with a small Cessna or something.' Until we were able to get some video of it, and they said, 'No, the second plane hit.' So, that's when we realized that it wasn't an accident,' DeCanio remembered.ĭeCanio said his thoughts immediately went to the first responders who would be heading to the scene. 'One of them came out and said, 'Hey, we just heard on the radio that a plane hit the World Trade Center. He said he was at a neighbor's house that morning, doing a favor and hanging out while a contractor worked on a project with a team. This is a reminder of one of the darkest days in the history of the United States.Īfter 20 years with the New York City Police Department, DeCanio retired less than two months before Sept. It's a hunk of rusted metal that looks like a large nut-and-bolt combination.

'I don't know if it's a calling, but I've enjoyed every minute of it.'Īmong the photos and figurines, in front of a framed card with the words to 'A Police Officer's Prayer' printed on it, is an item visitors likely couldn't identify right away, if at all. 'I think maybe the adrenaline junkie thing - that's what people talk about,' said DeCanio of what drew him to become a first responder. He said this year is the first he'll have to miss.

Since moving to Florida, DeCanio has participated in an annual wreath laying ceremony to honor 9/11 victims.

Fighter jets flying over Long Island are among DeCanio's memories of the hours and days after the attack.

DeCanio helped coordinate his Long Island volunteer fire department's efforts to provide relief to crews at ground zero.Former Port Richey Police and Fire Chief Gerard DeCanio retired from NYPD two months before 9/11.

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