NYFD Fire Marshal Ronald Buca was cat-like. In his agility. His speed. The ability to always land on his feet. And the fact that he seemed to have lived nine lives.
Firefighters Quarterly describes Buca as a firefighter who once survived after he fell five stories inside a burning building. He made a full recovery after plotting out his own physical therapy routine when he was convinced he could do it better. (This makes me laugh for my own personal reasons.) Prior to his 23 years as a firefighter, Buca served as an elite Special Forces operator, a medical professional and an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Military. As the former, he became so convinced terrorists would strike again after their 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, he became an expert on emergency evacuation plans and even kept a set of blueprints of the World Trade Center in his locker at work.
Like many firefighters that day, Buca did not have to report for duty. But he did anyway.
Buca, an avid Marathon runner, was believed to be just the second person to arrive at the point of impact where the first plane went into the 78th floor. The other was NYFD Battalion Chief Orio Palmer (featured in a previous post). Whereas his colleague Palmer was able to ride the elevator first to the 41st Floor, before taking the stairs the rest of the way to the 78th floor – Buca actually climbed the entire distance, starting from the ground floor and going all the way to the 78th floor. Seventy-eight stories takes some serious endurance. Endurance that, in my opinion, only a Marathoner or Triathlete or professional athlete could marshal.
Once he arrived, Buca joined Palmer in evacuating survivors and battling the fire with equipment they had available to them. Like Palmer and other first responders who were busy battling the blaze when the floor underneath them collapsed with the rest of the Tower, Buca died a hero.
The number of lives that both men touched leaves me stunned. And it makes me take a hard look at my own daily life. Am I helping enough people? Am I making a big enough impact in the world? I could be philosophical and say I don’t yet know the answer to this, but I’m pretty sure when compared to these brave men, the answer is “no.” Their heroics make me want to refine myself further – as both a runner and a human being – so that I can be a greater blessing to those around me. I hope that this small action is tribute enough to my fellow runners and the heroes who did so much, for so little, and to their families, who lost everything that day.
9/11. Never Forget.
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