PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Immediately following the 9/11 attack, a few Philadelphia police officers travelled to Ground Zero offering help, but also to observe how New York City handled the aftermath.
Their journey helped establish the city’s homeland security unit.
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Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Chris Werner was a lieutenant when the planes hit the twin towers on September 11th, 2001.
The next day, then-Police Commissioner John Timoney asked Werner, now-retired Chief Inspector Charles Temparali and two others to head to Ground Zero shortly after the attack.
"There were hundreds of people on West Side Highway holding signs, holding flags and they just lined the route going into Ground Zero," Werner recalled.
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The four from Philadelphia spent days trying to get resources to New York, but also interviewing first responders.
"The whole focus was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the policing operation and prepare for a similar event if it occurred in Philadelphia," said Werner.
"We met with command staff. We wanted to get a handle on how they were responding and we wanted to make sure that they understood that if they needed any resources from the Philadelphia Police Department, we were prepared to make contact with the commissioner and make sure that resources responded."
"We interviewed so many people, I can’t even quantify it with a number. New York police, fire and rescue, volunteers," Temparali added.
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"It caused us to put in a new structure that we never had before."
When they got back, Werner wrote a report outlining the response. It was the start of a blueprint for the city’s Homeland Security Unit.
"The investigative arm would investigate possible incidents that looked like they may be related to some sort of terroristic activity," Temparali said.
"The department reconfigured and developed a bureau at the time to address preparation for that type of event, if it did occur, to both prevent and respond," Werner explained.
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"The reality of the situation in New York really sent a message that as an organization, we would have to be prepared to respond to a similar incident and be able to mobilize our resources, our personnel, activate the Philadelphia Fire Department in rescue operation if something similar to that occurred."
The unit also worked to prepare the city’s hotels and event venues with how to spot a potential threat.
"They were taught how to respond if we had a chemical, biological or nuclear attack," Temparali detailed.
Through the years, the unit has been expanded and modified, allowing the city to host large-scale events like the Papal visit, the Democratic National Convention and championship parades.
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