9/11 "United We Run" Series: Orio Palmer: Battalion Chief, Father, Hero, Runner





With the exception of track and field relay competitions – such as the 440 relay – running is not exactly considered a team sport.

But maybe it should be.

While most of us run by ourselves (and mostly for ourselves, i.e., our physical strength, our mental health, to build stronger, faster, better bodies), the truth is that Running benefits many people outside of oneself. It allows us to be better mothers, sisters, aunties, spouses, and employees. It allows us to have the stamina to live our passions, to pick up our babies with ease, and most importantly, to come to the aid of our fellow man.

That is the case with New York Fire Department (NYFD) Battalion Chief Orio Palmer.

Ten years ago, on that fateful day of 9/11, Palmer was the first firefighter to arrive at the floor of the World Trade Center where United Flight 175 had entered the building.

Palmer – an avid Marathon runner – climbed to the 78th floor of the World Trade Center at a rapid clip of 12 floors every ten minutes – with full gear strapped to his back. Along the way, he singlehandedly fixed a broken elevator, repaired FDNY’s faltering radio system, and helped usher countless people down the stairs as he continued to climb.

Many other firefighters entered the World Trade Towers before Palmer that morning, but his marathon training is credited with his ability to make it to the top of the tower several minutes before any of his teammates. First on the scene at the so-called “elevator bridge” on that 78th floor, he sent yet more survivors to the ground floor using the elevator he had just fixed. His early condition reports also helped emergency responders direct survivors to the still-functioning South stairwell, which provided the best means of escape. To this day, there is no way of knowing precisely how many lives Palmer saved that day as a result of his speed. But the numbers are probably in the high hundreds.

When radio transmissions were made public after 9/11, Palmer’s brother remarked that he could tell by the cadence of his brother’s voice as he climbed the floors that he was pacing himself and wisely conserving oxygen – no doubt tricks of the trade he learned as a firefighter, and as a Marathoner.

While Palmer and his crew died when the South Tower collapsed just a few minutes after his last radio transmission, there is no question that his athletic agility and sheer speed saved countless lives of his fellow man. It is proof that although we may think we run for ourselves, the benefits of our sport are truly meant to be shared with all of humanity.

9/11. Never Forget.