By Jeff Lipton
As Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and others have put it, the trio sacrificed their lives so others could live, which is the noblest gesture one person can bestow upon another. Thousands perished in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, but through the quick and decisive response of these three heroes, and the heroic actions of about 400 other firefighters, police, emergency service and Port Authority workers, 25,000 other lives were spared when they evacuated the twin towers. Many of the rescue workers refused to leave until all civilians were out, returning again and again to escort others to safety.
When they rushed into the World Trade Center at around 9 a.m., after the two hijacked planes plowed into the buildings, with the towers in imminent danger of collapse and with no regard for their own safety, they immediately earned the status of heroes. Their selfless actions and extraordinary bravery have won the admiration of a nation.
As a result, they have been selected the Nassau Herald's People of the Year for 2001, an award that we must to unfortunately bestow upon them posthumously.
The rescue workers who were killed left behind wives and children, who can take solace in the knowledge that thousands of other children and spouses have their loved ones with them today because of the sacrifices of these brave men.
There were 30,000 people in those buildings, Giuliani said at O'Rourke's funeral service. Because of the work of the firefighters and police officers and all others who helped out, 25,000 people are alive today.
So into the building they went, the mayor added. They got them out quickly. If it's any consolation, they [the rescue workers] didn't die in vain... 25,000 people and their families are in their debt, including me.
The mayor referred to it as the greatest rescue operation in the history of the country.
Although they shared strong roots and ties to the Five Towns and will forever be linked by their heroism on Sept. 11, O'Rourke, Rivelli and Jurgens were quite different in some respects.
O'Rourke, who was a volunteer firefighter for the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department before becoming a member of the Hewlett Fire Department, had a distinguished career as a NYC firefighter, the last several years as a revered member of Rescue Co. 2 in Brooklyn. He was one of the first on the scene when he got the call on Sept. 11.
A member of the search-and-rescue team for Ladder 25 on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Rivelli was also one of the first to assist victims of the attacks. Rivelli and six others raced into the second tower and were en route by elevator to the 40th floor when the 110-story building collapsed. Rivelli comes from a long line of relatives who work in civil service or have volunteered for the Inwood Fire Department.
Jurgens, a 26-year-old newlywed and a captain in the Meadowmere Park Fire Department, was at work as a New York State Court Officer a half-mile away when the towers were hit. He and several other court officers rushed into the building to help out in any way they could. The court officers were helping to evacuate victims trapped in the basement of 5 World Trade Center. After Jurgens rescued some victims, he went back inside the building. Witnesses said he ran back into the towering inferno without a second thought, seeking no glory or recognition or honor. He went in because it was the right thing to do.
During the memorial service for the court officer, Jurgens' brother, Joe, said, Tommy always did everything with spirit and emotion. People ask me,
