FDNY Deputy Fire Chief and 9/11 survivor Jay Jonas will share his harrowing story of survival at NFPA's Conference & Expo

Jay Jonas of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) was a captain with Ladder 6 in Chinatown when he and five fellow firefighters ascended the World Trade Center’s North Tower on September 11 on a search-and-rescue operation. Their orders immediately changed once the South Tower came crumbling down. Heading down the stairs, they stopped to assist an elderly woman when what they feared ultimately occurred only four floors from the exit—the building began to disintegrate.

Now a deputy chief with the FDNY, Jonas will share his survival story while highlighting improvements to the fire service and built environment since 9/11 during the featured presentation “9/11: Leadership Before and After the Crisis” at NFPA’s Conference & Expo on June 12.

NFPA Journal staff writer Fred Durso, Jr. interviewed Jonas at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City about some of the safety upgrades he's seen since the terrorist attacks. Watch the following video, and be on the lookout for a more in-depth conversation with Jonas in the upcoming issue of NFPA Journal:

-Fred Durso, Jr.