Steve Buscemi was a firefighter from 1980-1984 and after the attacks on the Twin Towers, he went back to his old fire station and went to work. He then spent the next week doing 12 hour shift and working alongside his former colleagues to search for the bodies of those who were missing.
He worked as a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) firefighter and he happened to stay in touch with some of his old fire company colleagues after he left. His ultimate goal was Hollywood but after these attacks, he felt drawn to his roots once again. He also knew that his help and former knowledge was sorely needed and so he was committed to lending a hand.
He just wanted to help out.
He also refused to do interviews during this time when he went back to his roots to help. Only after some time, he broke his silence and said “It was a privilege to be able to do it. It was a great to connect with the firehouse I used to work with and with some of the guys I worked alongside. And it was enormously helpful for me because while I was working, I didn’t really think about it as much, feel it as much. It wasn’t until I stopped that I really felt the full impact of what had happened. It would have been much harder for me to get through it if I hadn’t been able to do that.”
It meant a lot to him to help out!
After this experience, he has since made a documentary in an attempt to encourage others to join the FDNY. The main message that he hopes to convey is “A Good Job” to any current firefighters and also letting them know to not be afraid to ask for help due to any trauma that their work causes them.