Local ambulance service reflects on efforts at Ground Zero

BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – 20 years ago the world was changed forever as planes were hijacked and used to attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

During the chaos that ensued, emergency crews were called out from hundreds of miles away to help with the situation.

One of those crews came from local ambulance service Jan-Care. 

“We were all at work and we saw the planes crash into the buildings as most of America did,” Director Paul Seamann said. “We knew that there was going to be a huge rescue operation, or that the New York City EMS was going to be overwhelmed or could be.”

Jan-Care is no stranger to being called out for a faraway operation. They’ve helped with Hurricane Katrina and other disasters from around the region. During 9/11, they sent a team of eight people and four ambulances up to Ground Zero. 

“We had a connection with an EMS agency in the New York City area and they requested additional resources. They drove through the night and were on station by September 12.”

Of the eight EMS workers that went to Ground Zero, two have sadly passed away, one remains with Jan-Care, and the others have moved onto other fields. Jan-Care still remembers their courage to go all the way to Ground Zero and help however they could.

“Everyone in America remembers it, and these people had a front row seat to the tragedy and the devastation.” 

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