On September 11th 2024 we hosted our 3rd Annual honor workout, THE DOM, in conjunction with our 3rd PROJECT ENDURE.
Officer Joe Cirrito completed a 24-hour workout in honor of his friend, Dominic Pezullo, who died in the line-of-duty when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11.
During the event, I had the honor to talk with a 27-year retired police officer from the same police department Officer Pezullo was from, The Port Authority Police Department.
Robert (Bobby) Egbert was there on 9/11. We talk about his experience that day and how it has affected his life since. I want to thank Bobby for being so open and honest with such a sensitive topic.
Bobby dedicates this podcast to the 65 Port Authority police officers who have died in the line-of-duty, especially the PAPD 37 who perished on 9/11.
Timestamps:
00:01:38 “The Dom”
00:03:15 The power of remembering our police lineage. “…working in the shadows of incredible heroes.”
00:04:54 LAPD Officer Joe Cirrito
00:09:25 Becoming a cop.
00:12:00 Choices made on 9/11
00:14:00 Deploying to The World Trade Center
0030:00 Trauma & balance.
00:32:00 The power of talking it out.
00:34:00 Unbecoming: When do we become human again?
00:36:00 The Gift of Acceptance
00:38:00 Surrounded by death.
00:40:00 The culture and the mindset
00:42:00 The Holy S*#t Factor
00:46:00 Empathy is not possible, and that’s ok.
00:50:00 Mental Health
00:52:00 Suicide
01:02:00 The reality of an OIS (officer involved shooting) and critical incidents.
01:13:00 Gratitude and a lesson learned: “The World Trade Center” vs “Ground Zero”
01:17:00 Big City vs Small Town policing
01:18:00 Podcast dedication
01:22:00 Captain Kathy Mazza
Some of Bobby’s publishings:
Running to honor the fallen - American Police Beat Magazine
https://apbweb.com/2018/11/running-to-honor-the-fallen/
Where our stories are - American Police Beat Magazine
https://apbweb.com/2024/05/where-our-stories-are/
https://apbweb.com/2019/08/rebuilding-after-9-11/
Misunderstood - American Police Beat Magazine
https://apbweb.com/2023/07/misunderstood/
Safety pin - American Police Beat Magazine
https://apbweb.com/2023/05/safety-pin/
https://apbweb.com/2023/02/keys/
The Deuce - American Police Beat Magazine
https://apbweb.com/2022/10/the-deuce/
My 9/11 — well, what I remember of it - American Police Beat Magazine
https://apbweb.com/2022/09/my-9-11-well-what-i-remember-of-it/
In memory of a homeless veteran - American Police Beat Magazine
https://apbweb.com/2019/11/in-memory-of-a-homeless-veteran/