Whistle
- Description
- Stainless steel whistle and tag attached to a red nylon cord lanyard. The small plastic tag includes printed text that reads: "W.T.C | Fire Safety Team." The whistle and tag are attached to the lanyard with a metal clip.
- Historical Notes
- The Port Authority instituted a fire warden program and provided fire safety training for World Trade Center tenants. Fire wardens were responsible for checking their floors, managing drills, and communicating with authorities in an emergency. This training saved many lives on 9/11. This fire warden whistle belonged to 9/11 survivor Linda Horan.
Curator's Comment
Linda Horan, an employee at Fiduciary Trust Company International, was at her desk on the South Tower’s 94th floor when a colleague alerted her that a plane had crashed into the North Tower. Without hesitating, she grabbed her belongings, including this World Trade Center (WTC) Fire Safety Team whistle, and headed to a stairwell. As she descended and neared the 64th floor, the South Tower suddenly shook violently. Hijacked Flight 175 had crashed into the building. Nonetheless, she managed to evacuate safely before the tower collapsed. In 1993, several years prior to the 9/11 attacks, Horan had also survived the bombing of the World Trade Center. During that event, tenants evacuated their offices after becoming aware of a nearby explosion. Following the attack, new WTC Fire Safety Team supplies, including whistles like this one, were distributed to office tenants. On September 11, 2001, Horan utilized these emergency tools and supplies during her second emergency escape from the South Tower.
- Accession Number: C.2011.147.2
- Dimensions: 1 in X 2.25 in X 0.875 in X 17 in
- Dimensions (Metric): 2.54 cm X 5.715 cm X 2.2225 cm X 43.18 cm
- Source: Linda Horan
- Credit Line: Gift of Linda A. Horan, Survivor, 1993 & 2001
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