New Film Exposes How Rudy Failed Firefighters On 9/11

Filmmaker Robert Greenwald has released another explosive short documentary film about Rudy Giuliani, this time highlighting the former New York City mayor's controversial handling of radios used by the city's fire department on Sept. 11. Greenwald is also petitioning the New York City Council to launch an investigation into the matter.

The web video, released Monday by Brave New Films, alleges that during his administration Giuliani failed to equip the FDNY with adequate, let alone functioning, communication equipment. That in turn created massive problems on 9/11 and may have contributed to the unnecessary deaths of dozens of servicemen.

"What did Mr. Giuliani do [about faulty radios]?" Al Santora, the retired Chief of Safety for FDNY whose son died on 9/11, asks in one of the film's most poignant moments. "He had eight years. He did nothing to correct that situation... We got people dead as a result."

As Greenwald documents, the radios used by the FDNY on 9/11 were precisely the same ones that malfunctioned during the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. Eight years after that attack, Giuliani did replace the defective equipment. But the new radios he bought under a no-bid, $14 million contract from Motorola (the previous contract was $1.4 million) were never field-tested. The "upgrade" proved disastrous. Within a week, the just-purchased radios were recalled after a firefighter's mayday went un-heard. Giuliani was forced to reissue the old, faulty batch. And on 9/11 when a police helicopter warned that the North Tower could collapse, more than 120 firefighters remained inside.

"The radios failed them and that was Giuliani failing them," says Roseleen Tallon, whose brother Sean was an FDNY member killed in 9/11.

In addition to releasing the film on www.therealrudy.org, Greenwald is petitioning New York City Councilman Eric Gioia to initiate a public investigation into Giulaini's handling of the FDNY radios.

"No investigation has ever taken place," Greenwald told the Huffington Post. "People were killed because he screwed up... and family members want questions answered."

Giuliani's office did not return calls requesting comment.

This is the second Giuliani film made by Greenwald. The first explored the former mayor's decision to ignore the advise of his own security experts and locate New York's terrorist command center at the World Trade Center, despite its centrality as a potential terrorist target.

Comments

[matt is right]

all the smears from discreditted liberal hacks like greenwald, who is their bizzare world think its the mayors job to field test radios lolololololol the police officers radios worked because the police did the job of testing their equipment properly. the IAFF failed to test their firefighters' equipment properly, all the mayor does is appropriate funds. but since the IAFF leadership have all worked for democrats in the past, they will NEVER be scrutinized.

trying to revise rudy's 9/11 resume, that was world reknowned and respected by people from all walks of life, is perhaps the most dispicable political attack in history. fortuantely, it has failed to stop his campaign, and in alot of ways is helping. the more liberals attack, the more the right will back him. and then it comes down to hillary and rudy lolololol and a first lady with nothing but inexperience and scandal has no chance to beat america's mayor!

[WIDESTANCE]

GO AWAY TROLL - YOUR STUPIDITY IS JUST TRAGIC

[StillAmused]

The veteran trolls are gonna be really upset with your pathetic offering..­. it ruins the curve.

Now, wipe yourself and exit the stall.

[NYC07]

"trying to revise rudy's 9/11 resume, that was world reknowned and respected by people from all walks of life, is perhaps the most dispicable political attack in history"
Exactly what is Rudy's resume ??? " I looked up and watched the Towers come down" "Even though I was elected Mayor right after the first WTC attack I never called for Emergency Drills for High Rise buildings nor any drills dealing with large scale emergencies" "As a Fascist Mayor the concerns of the fire fighters reguarding communications don't concern ME"! Lets hear buddy what you think his great resume consists of !!

[ManipulatedByMedia]

Sorry Matt. This hack is going nowhere. Even got soundly booed at the last Yankee game he went to. "Mr 9/11" for president? I think not! And how about that criminal/partner of his? YIKES!

[bushdoescrack]

and then it comes down to hillary and rudy lolololol and a first lady with nothing but inexperience and scandal has no chance to beat america's mayor!



that's ex-mayor.

[Eoin45]

Matt is Right, you should have been in the towers. No one would miss you. You are pathetic. Truth hurts eh?

[mi]

this makes me cry.

[SupremeIdiot]

In Dallas the city bought Motorola 900mghz radios without testing them about the same time Giuliani bought his. Ours didn't work for shit in buildings either. We gave the system to the water department and bought good radios.

Wonder why Judy couldn't get new ones and what is the connection between the systems? Was Motorola greasing some palms?

[Nommo]

That's about the size of it.

[SouthpawSass]

Hey, did you all hear?!!

That tunnel crash would have had so many more casualties were it not for Rudy Giuliani braving the fire and smoke to singlehandedly save the lives of those trapped in their cars.

In this post 9/11 world, thank God we have Rudy.

(okay, I'll try to stop laughing now...)

[ljsfolly]

It bothers me every time I see or hear Rudy's name that he knew the radios were crap for years and he did nothing about it but allow a no bid contract for more radios not field tested. He was not one of the terrorists that flew a plane but he also is guilty of the deaths of those who held those crap radios at the towers. Why should he be able to stand upon the graves of those brave souls and claim he was anything/anyone who supported them? That information about the truth behind what he really was doing behind those photo ops was never supporting anyone but his own ego while he went to the ballgames.

[ornery]

He shouldn't be allowed, obviously, any more than Bush.

However, his track record insofar as emergency planning is probably the norm for big city mayors. Take Daley, for example.

He's moved his wunderkind Huberman from coordinator of emergency planning to be head of the Chicago Transit Authority.

Where he's proposing really BIG hikes in fares and big service and job cuts.

Heavy weight lifting for Huberman.

But it also shows how much more important CTA and its interaction with Joe Sixpack are to Daley than coordination of emergency services: wunderkind is moved to CTA and no one is quite sure who took the position he used to have. Or if it actually exists any more.

I really don't think there is any emergency plan for Chicago, that the public knows anything about.

So, Chicago is just about as ready for the blowback from Bush's planned attack on Iran, as NYC was for 9/11.

[ZingoBonMot]

~Ijsfolly~

And to think Rooty's company is called SABRE "TECHNICAL" Services. Too f**king bizarre. What a sorry sack-O-s**t!

[Ginzaman]

After all this time and all of these people telling the truth the corporate media still refuses to expose Guliani for the f****p that he is. Why?

[hugs4u]

Rudy did nothing after 911 but a bunch of photo ops at the scene. But between Hillary and Rudy, I think Rudy would be better for the country. Rudy will screw you without hiding it. Hillary will screw you and be really sneaky about it. She is just a female version of gw bush.

[outnow]

"Hello, you have reached the Rudy Giuliani Campaign office. This recording wants to inform you that 9-11 should never be forgotten. 9-11, 9-11, 9-11, 9-11, 9-11, Oh my God, the damn outgoing message tape is broken. Bernie, can ya fix it?"

No, Bernie's in jail!

[Dandy12]

Rudy is a good way to help ensure that our "National nightmare" is perpetuated and continued destruction of this country comes to fruition.
Bloomberg needs to do his bit to help show Rudy's true colors, plus alot of investigative journalists like Bob Woodward, et al.

[rvme]

It must be tough being a Republican right now. If this is their number one choice? Hannity and Limbaugh must go home and think "geez its getting harder and harder to spin for my boys"

[average joe]

Rudy a cross dressing perverted little pig. A lair who children don't like him rollhim over stick a fork in him he's done.

[outnow]

That's three strikes for Rudy.

One, he located his command center in the WTC knowing that it was a target from the first attack and against specific advice.

Two, he screwed up with the radio communications.

Three, he lied about the asbestos danger and exposed hundreds of workers to asbestos.

By promoting his friend Bernie Kereck, his true colors are evident for all but the brain-dead to see.

[djthedj]

"his true colors are evident for all but the brain-dead to see."

And that is why he is the republican front runner.

[outnow]

Naturally.

[Johnniedog]

You covered a lot of what Rudy is all about but there is still much..much more.
Like the other Republicans that totally ignored warnings of terrorist attacks in the U.S., Rudy is also good at taking credit for things "he did not do". During the Clinton Administration Bill Clinton created almost 23 million jobs and had a program to put more police on the streets of our cities. This resulted in a huge reduction in crime across the country. Big cities, with a larger concentration of people, benefitted the most. Further, Clinton reformed the Welfare system, taking a huge percentage of those receiving Welfare, off of the rolls. Rudy was Mayor during the Clinton years and takes full credit for both reducing crime and reducing the number of people on Welfare. The only thing Rudy should get full credit for is being Mayor of NYC during the Clinton Administration.
Also, how does this guy get credit for being America's Mayor? It is common knowledge in NYC that anybody could have done a better job of leading the City during 9/11. Lets put it this way, when you have millions of volunteers and thousands of companies chomping at the bit to donate goods and services, how can you screw this up. Those that were there said Rudy used volunteers to organize the volunteers. The only thing Rudy did was run around the city looking for any and every camera crew he could find so he could get his face on T.V. When he could not find a camera, he would have his PR people set up reporters and cameras so he could grandstand. He would announce to reporters that he would be down at ground zero at a certain time and that he would be making statements, that his very competant staff would prepare, that would make him look as if he was on top of everything. All the while, the volunteers were doing all of the work. Of course, he takes all of the credit for that too.

[Nommo]

Yep. And everyone else that day did what they could, stayed out of the way if they could not do anything, and all wondered what the hell might happen next. No one had time for cameras except the documenters and the Mayor.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Rudy knew about many problems that crippled the 9/11 response BEFORE 9/11... and did squat.

All we're missing is a "My Pet Goat" photo.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

New Yorkers won't vote for Rudy.

That should tell the rest of the country something.

[ZingoBonMot]

~RIMR~
BINGO!

[delphi]

I am a New Yorker and I won't vote for Rudy.

But the average person in the rest of the country distrusts or outright hates New York (in my experience) except for the TV series and tax money generated.

I fear that the truth of RIMR's comment is likely to promote those west-of-the-Hudson into voting FOR Rudy/Judy.

[JSquercia]

Sadly it won't !!! Just as the fact the they overwhelmingly REJECTED Bush after 911 didn't

[jii]

Rush Limbaugh, thinking that his views are unassailable, will be applying a good "Cons" spin to this film on his show today. When he does, dozens of sites like MediaMatters, Huffpo, and RadioCons, will unspin the lies. Rudy's done.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

Rush, Hannity and Levin will be spinning the story in a desperate attempt to polish the turd Rudy.

[brwnizofmine]

I know this does not pertain to this post, but a lady called into C-Span's Washington Journal this morning and said that she use to live near where Blackwater is located in N.C. She said that Black water has always recruited KKK type people and people that had dishonorable discharges from the military. She said that everyone around that area knew this. What does this mean? Do we in the US have anything to fear from these people?

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

Yes...I believe we do have much to fear. Goggle Blackwater and look at who is the money behind the industry and, unless you are a rightwing fundie nutjob, it will scare the hell out of you. These people need to be stopped, immediately.

[peaceandfreedom]

Trolls-

Agreed! The money is everything to these people.

Now, I know that the CEO of Blackwater is married into the Amway Corp DeVos family. Any other info on just what and how much of the neocon agenda they support? Anyone?