From the ashes of 9 / 11
Fifteen years after law enforcement’ s darkest day, the NJ State PBA recalls its response that still means so much to so many
n BY JOSHUA SIGMUND n PHOTOS BY JOHN HULSE
28 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ SEPTEMBER 2016
The New Jersey State PBA: A formidable and nationally recognized law enforcement union that provides powerful representation to its 33,000 members through collective bargaining, the Legal Protection Plan, health and pension benefits and legislative action( to name a few). But notably, the NJ State PBA continues its support for those officers even after they are lost or wounded in the line of duty, by providing family assistance through the Survivor and Welfare Fund.
Today a pillar of one of the PBA’ s virtues, the Fund itself can trace the drama of its backstory to arguably the greatest tragedy to strike American law enforcement: The loss of 37 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey( PANYNJ) officers who were among the nearly 3,000 people killed during the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
“ Most were PBA members,” acknowledges PBA Special Projects Coordinator John Hulse.“ That’ s when( then-State PBA President) Mike( Madonna) and( then-Executive Vice-President) Tony( Wieners) realized major incidents can happen and they started the( Survivor and Welfare) Fund so if it ever happened, again, we could help our members and not have to scramble. You hear about the Cop Shot Program, the trailers … they’ re all a result of 9 / 11 and those guys seeing the need for the organization supporting the families if anything happens.”
Fifteen years after the Sept. 11 Attacks, the Fund and the PBA have achieved monumental stature. And a reflection of how some members have mended the wounds suffered that day, and in the tortuous nine months of recovery that followed, can be intertwined with the growth and current gravitas of the union.
On this anniversary we look back on a decade-and-a-half since the PBA rolled up its proto-trailer to assist the swarms of members fighting for an opportunity to work the pile. Hearing from those who were there, those leading the PBA effort and those whose law enforcement careers took on new meaning from the sacrifices of those lost paints an image of strength, healing, inspiration and, at a time when it’ s needed the most, pride.
“ I’ m proud we could be there for our members,” Hulse attests.“ It sent us in another direction we didn’ t realize there was a need for. It’ s a weird dynamic – every day you need the PBA for legislation, pension, things like that. But when our survivors need us – and thank God it’ s not needed that much – that’ s much more significant than what we do every day. Without the equipment and experience we gained from that program, we wouldn’ t have known what to do during( recent crises such as the killing of officers in) Baton Rouge and Dallas. From that event, and one little trailer, grew this big organization.”
The union unites
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, was the monthly State PBA meeting. As news spread about a plane hitting the World Trade Center, Port Authority Local 116’ s President and Vice-President turned around their car that was heading down to the Woodbridge office, while then-State Delegate Paul Nunziato responded to a“ Get over here!” message, leading him to a bus heading to New York City.
“ As we got there, the North Tower fell in front of us,” Nunziato recalls.“ We watched it fall and the smoke went out and you thought you didn’ t see what you just saw.”