One of New York City's highest ranking fire fighters during the 9-11 attacks is a special guest this weekend at Chatham’s 2013 FireFest.
Retired New York City Fire Chief Richard Picciotto was scheduled to deliver the key note speech to kick off the antique firefighting showcase.
"September 11th, I was the highest ranking chief that survived being in the building when the building collapsed," says Picciotto.
Picciotto was one of the few people who survived the collapse of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
With 28 years of service under his belt, he was in charge of many people trying to save a lot of lives that morning, all while trying to do the same himself.
"In a split second to know so many people who died, you can't really comprehend," says Picciotto.
The New York Times best-selling author now tours North America, sharing his insight inside the World Trade Centre on Sept. 11, 2001.
"If I asked you where you were September 11th, you'd probably be able to tell me,” says Picciotto. “If I asked you where you were last Thursday you probably wouldn't be able to tell me.
“We all have that in common so when I meet people they always tell me where they were and what they were doing and it's always interesting stories."
He’ll have a chance to hear some of those stories this weekend as FireFest is expected to bring about 5,000 people downtown Chatham.
“We've got about 50 per cent more trucks this year, so we're going to put on a great show for all the families in Chatham-Kent," says organizer Brent DeNure.
During its inaugural year, FireFest was deemed the largest antique fire truck show in all of Canada.
Visually captivating demonstrations are promised for Saturday to compliment the history that goes with the antiques.
“It's amazing something this old put out fires almost as efficiently as the ones today," says Curtis Williams, Chatham firefighter.
