Brian Muldowney and B. Hallman

00:01 Good day. My name is Kelly Hallman. My age is 53 today's date is October 13th, 2015. We are in Tampa Florida at the Tampa fire rescue fire Museum and I'm here with my good friend Brian Muldowney and Brian and I have known each other for Going on 30 years went to the fire academy together. And now we work together at Hillsborough County fire rescue almost 25 years.

00:34 And my name is Brian Will Downing. 46 years old. Today is October 13th, 2015 here at the Tampa firefighters Museum. You're a good friend of mine and co-worker. Kelly Hallman been good friends with him for almost 30 years.

00:53 All right. We're here today Brian. I want to ask you a few questions about the events of September 11th, 2001. You have a very personal experience about that day and some of questions I wanted to ask.

01:16 Without getting real detailed because I've got more questions that day is special to you because I had my brother Richard Muldowney Junior who's in New York City fireman that ladder 7 in Manhattan and I wish I had my cousin Kenneth Watson was also a firefighter. He was in 1/11 to 14 and both New York City fireman and both were Parish that they okay.

01:49 Now you have Richie your only brother. No. No, I come from a family of six Richie was the oldest and I was youngest okay and how many brothers three other brothers and two sisters. I have another brother. That was a New York City detective then my sister Mary who's of police clerk out in Long Island by the brother Timmy and my sister Colleen. Okay. So you come from a family of police and firefighters in it true that two of your other brothers aside from Rich. You were also volunteer firefighters. Yes, both of them volunteered out in Long Island. Like my name is a lot of New York City fireman where volunteers out on Wii on cuz I don't have a paid Department was Richie a firefighter yet out on Long Island also search for 25 years War 2 helmets. Yeah. Alright. Can you tell me about that morning?

02:44 How did you?

02:47 Find out about the attacks. Where were you at? And

02:52 Did you see it on TV? Well, I was I was at work at my firehouse engine 31 and the night before whenever I was at work. I was give Richie a call cuz I know he was working and so I talked to him that evening prior and he was working for somebody covering and the next morning got up and getting coffee with the fellas and I want end up holding somebody over and they had a daycare come in for a tour of the fire station. And so we paid a little round and

03:28 One of my buddies calls me up and says hey you watching the news said now, you know, we got this day care in here will give him a tour and I guess you might want to go turn it on you guys is Richie working today? And I said, yeah.

03:41 So immediately went out to the day room flipped on TV and I saw what was happening. So my first instinct was to call Richie and when I call the firehouse the house line I said a is Richie there and I guess man that just jumping on the truck heading down to the World Trade so and I can actually hear the truck pulling out.

04:03 Okay. Well, but at that point we didn't know that there was going to be the day that it turned out. It was just you and I can imagine what those guys are thinking that this is going to be one hell of a job though. This is going to be the call that everybody wants to be on. Yep. Absolutely. We got kind of go to back here with the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

04:24 You you want to be you know, one of those fires that will go down in history of you know, it's just an epic proportion that if you wanted that people will talk about for years and years and you can say I was there.

04:39 So but that's there is no doubt. I know he want to be there.

04:46 Has as did a lot of the guys that we get it where they are off duty.

04:54 So as the day progressed and we saw the buildings on TV5 Tsum you were watching TV at the time. Yeah, I was I was still at the firehouse and I was watching it and you know, I was like man, that's a nice looking pretty bad and after probably 20 minutes or so, give or take I said, you know I said I got to get out of here. I got to get to my mom's house cuz I know that sure she would be upset and as I'm driving home listening to the radio, that's when I hear the second plane hit.

05:25 And by the time I got to the house, there was a city of Tampa Fire Chief was sitting at my mother's house. And who is that Dennis Reynolds and got there. He was just making sure you know, he didn't he knew it was bad as well and get a who's just if you guys need anything. Let us know when in spoke to my mom and before you know, it the brothers and sisters start arriving and you know more more people coming.

05:58 You know, we just watch the events unfold.

06:04 As it as time went on remember another good friend of mine who's a fireman came over and it said maybe we got to see you where he's at. So we're calling different fire houses in 4 hours and no answer. Of course, then probably about 4 in the afternoon. We got word that he was in a hospital in, New Jersey.

06:30 And there was a bit of relief and by this time the buildings have have come down and we knew it was bad and I remember telling my mom until we hear from him. Let's just hold off the excitement pissed by the brother Kevin who is the detective. We still haven't heard from him either so we didn't know what was going on.

06:54 Now I remember telling my buddy less I said man. I said, I just don't want to see my brother's name on a back of a shirt cuz that's what they do when guys I do shirts for fundraisers. Yeah, and you know, I just didn't know that was my biggest fear.

07:12 So it is over call.

07:16 Is that after at the end of that day Richie was still unaccounted for and Kevin your brother. The detective was accounted for now and the end of the day. We still don't know we are.

07:31 About 10:00 at night. I finally got somebody from his Firehouse that knew what was going on. And he said Brian to go. So we lost radio contact with all the guys this morning. Nobody's accounted for that point time. I said I got I got to get up there. So and being the the typical good Irish Catholic family that we were I told my mom I said, I'm going to the Firehouse get my gear and heading up to New York, and she said not without me right and I remember you guys not even now without all the brothers and sisters. So we all drove up.

08:08 Can you got there the next morning got there the next morning drove up. I remember dropping my mom off at my sister-in-law's house at Richie's wife. Connie Muldowney dropped her off there. And I told her I said I don't know when I'm coming back I said but I'm not coming back till I find Richie and you went to heaven and you went from there to I drove directly to Richie Firehouse. Manhattan was a mess. So I got there and when the guys in the firehouse Patty boiling who I just met him previously in July for ritchies 40th birthday party and I said, hey Patty I said you guys got to put me up I said, I'm ready to go do some work and it goes we're getting ready to go down there right now. Drop your stuff get on the truck and went down there.

09:01 What?

09:05 What were your initial thoughts when you when you got to?

09:09 The World Trade Center and saw the the devastation is mind-blowing.

09:18 You know when I got there it was just you know, my thoughts were where is Richie? Where's Kevin? Where's my cousin Kenny, you know and so many other guys that I know and but my main focus was trying to Rich and Kevin and when we got down to the actual site itself.

09:37 It was all boarded off with police NYPD and there was a gap of about 5 ft between me and the crew from 7 truck and there's a police captain there any stop me because I can't let you win because when we letting York City fireman in

09:57 And I said what you going to have to going to take me out to hold me back cuz I said I got to go find my brothers and I guess I got a lot of guys looking for family members and I said it goes what's it? What's the name of some more Bounty? And it goes are you Kevin's brother? Which Kevin is a cop? I said, yes, and he goes on his captain. And I said, where is he? Is he okay. He's here. Do not move. Stay right here. He got on the radio got in touch with somebody work that was working within the year that Kevin was working. They sent him over.

10:34 I saw Kevin walking from

10:37 Couple hundred yards away and

10:41 The captain says every day when you come here you come through me and I'll make sure you get in ran up.

10:48 Give Kevin a big ol hug and a so, where's Richie don't know.

10:54 And I guess let's go find them.

11:03 So that was that was on the third day. That was Thursday early this afternoon or Tuesday you drove on Wednesday and it was Thursday. So Thursday that that happened on Thursday and you worked out of firehouse 16 and 7 for the remainder of your stay up there. Yes.

11:27 Okay. What?

11:30 Tell me about the firehouse and how are you were you were received there? They took me in as I belong there. Everybody was so determined and

11:44 You look just any hands that they can get down there. They took it with open arms. Come on. Let's go to work is all they wanted to do. Let's work these get these guys were already working 48 hours straight, you know that they might take a break here and there but some of these guys didn't sleep. I mean there were Non-Stop.

12:06 As long as I recall, they put them on 12 on 12 off is that you remember that technically that's what they wanted them to do, but it do 12 at the firehouse and they do 12 at Ground Zero. You can keep those guys away from that why they spend their day off down there right? You had a lot of covering departments come in so that the guys could be down there working cuz it was still rescue at that point wasn't recovered. Right? So they haven't gotten to that point to where they said. I you know, there's no chance of survivability at this point. They were showing the rescue mode. So and you know what you got down there.

12:43 I told the people that impressed me with the Ironworkers cutting these beings with such Precision Precision moving them around so that guys can get in holes and go looking and you know, you couldn't get in any heavy machinery except for cranes from the outside. So everything had to be done by buckets 5 gallon buckets loading it up and look at lines bucket line. So, you know, I remember speaking with some of the ironworkers that they just walked off their jobs. Yeah and came straight to the Trade Center not looking to get paid not looking to get a tattoo in the right thing and they lost actually got fired. Some of them. I am the sad thing today is a lot of them are sick just like the firefighters are ya with no compensation.

13:30 Okay.

13:36 Tell me about some of the crew members that were lost with Richie. They lost my entire career 07 truck in the firehouse. You have 7 truck an engine 16.

13:51 Engine 16 got called out first.

13:55 And they they were on another call so they didn't get down to the Trade Center at the same time and

14:04 The engine wind up getting there 30 seconds minutes later than the engine and the guys on the engine all survived, but they were trapped and they were part of the the crew that was another part of the miracle of stairwell B that actually survived the collapse itself.

14:22 Yes.

14:25 I actually have seen a picture that you posted that is probably the last photograph of that crew has they're approaching the World Trade Center and you can see all of them looking up and you can see the green Shamrock on Richie's helmet. Yeah, that's how you could always identify me hit a big green Shamrock is extremely proud of being Irish that photo to me exemplifies.

14:57 Courage at and I'll tell you why.

15:01 I've been a firefighter for 25 years myself and I can tell you I would be scared shittless walking to that building and I'm sure they were probably too but it didn't it didn't deter them. Now, you know that they marched straight in there. There's no telling how many lives they say that day.

15:23 How's your family your mom and your sisters and your your other brothers? How how has everybody is here? It's been you know, all these years 14 years still tough. I mean, you know you miss your brother every day, but

15:44 The way that

15:47 Define German police are being honored.

15:52 All this time later, is it helps, you know?

15:58 Yeah, it is. It doesn't get old and it doesn't go away. You know, it's you were living relive it every year every day really but they get along, you know, some some days are great and some days aren't but yeah, it's tough to leave it and believe me. I know what you mean, brother.

16:25 We when we got the call saying that they lost radio contact with them. Then as the days go on, you know you when you finally got back to the firehouse and grab something to eat and you know, they would come across with announcements over the radio said this person's been found this person this person and after a couple days, you're sitting there waiting at least to hear your brother's name so that even though he passed away at least he's found cuz you're talkin 200 + stories between the two buildings and got what you were there of office space. Yeah. How many deaths did you see telephone Island cabinets is all nothing of grated disintegrated. We knew at that point that

17:14 Chances are trying to find him. We're going to be extremely tough. But I'm going to have to work in the bucket lines and they would come whenever you find a remained and Mel. Some of them unfortunate would very small and they would come over.

17:32 Map it and plot it with a GPS and then it would be marked so that this way if they do get a DNA match they know exactly the position in the area that where they were found so we didn't.

17:44 We didn't hear for.

17:47 Over a year so we did and Memorial about 6 months later.

17:53 Then

17:55 Dabin, you know they said that they've exhausted all the DNA technology that they had.

18:01 And there was a school. I believe it was University of Virginia. If I'm not mistaken that came up with new technology and is about a year later. I was in a store and I got a phone call saying that they identified.

18:19 Part of the remains of Richie

18:22 And

18:24 So it took a year, but at least we have the closure of it if you want to call it closure, which I don't believe in that.

18:35 Get at least we had that been.

18:38 That was that was important to us and they give you the opportunity you have because unfortunately bodies were destroyed and so you can have the chance of okay, you got notified that we found we identify to remain now what happens in a week later, they find another piece and another piece we opted just to be notified once because it was going to be too much, but I know in the firehouse.

19:06 Somebody want to be notified every time and they got notified over 25 times.

19:12 Reliving that over and over and over yet.

19:22 I know I think it was once I said, you know we've exhausted all

19:27 Scientific tech technology to identify, you know, it was something that it was forced to accept you had to say that's it, you know, so when you know, we did Memorial form I end.

19:46 You know who we just a pictures? That's all we have is pictures and you know some of his things and going to the firehouse on the 13th that night when I got back his Lieutenant Jake.

20:01 Said those Richey shoes right with her truck was at where he jumped out of his shoes and into his gear. So we had that there. Yeah.

20:10 And then once we got the remains we should all right, we're going to do a full funeral. So a year later we got to do a funeral.

20:22 What's what's been the hardest thing?

20:25 About losing Ricky

20:33 Missing future stuff with him, you know.

20:37 Cinnamon rolls

20:50 You know what, you know, I feel the bro, you know how to do a little side note.

20:59 I remember.

21:01 About a month after

21:04 You lost your brother my baby brother, you know.

21:11 Yeah you working.

21:14 Let me catch my get my composure for a minute. You're one of the guys I came up there.

21:23 Work with me sit by my side. I couldn't go anywhere without you to know we were trying to protect you when you went home. You got the news about your brother. I said I got to get back there for you. And I remember seeing you and you're like, oh what the hell are you doing here? I said you there for me got to be there for ya. Ya Casey Casey Hallman 6 years my junior. We were like twins born 6 years apart. He was pretty upset for you as well when all of this transpired.

22:03 So as as we're talking here, and you know that I feel oh, yeah, what's your feeling brother now?

22:16 Tell me tell me how long were you in New York for that stay.

22:23 I think I came back a couple times when when I left originally to go up. I went to my fire house that night on the eleven 11 at night.

22:34 I told the boss. I was working. I said listen my brother still missing got my gear and I said just put me on leave. I'll let you know and they said not a problem. So I came back a couple times, but it was briefly for.

22:52 Two days here and then go straight back. And you know, you're all I know it was I was up there for about 6 months. I remember that.

23:01 Can you stay mainly at the firehouse Tina 7 Firehouse Connie's house Freeport? Yeah. I tried try to stay close to the city, you know just working up there and get a doing whatever I could do and they're there were times where he mostly you just couldn't do it anymore. He had to take a break, you know, and I I remember one of them when we were up there for the first several weeks.

23:32 I said I'm one of those guys I get I get my haircut every 10 days like clockwork and we go back to the Firehouse get a shower and I see you know what I said. I'm getting a haircut I'm way overdue and I remember trying to sneak out the firehouse to the little barber shop around the corner sitting in the barber's chair and who's peeking through the window, but you just checking on you. That's it. I'm a big boy. I can get my haircut without you holding my hand, but that's I mean you guys wouldn't leave my side, you know, take care of me to make sure I was okay. That's the Brotherhood. Yeah.

24:12 Brian hear your now twenty-something years on the job 21 21 years on the job. You're a engine company captain.

24:24 Richie was a

24:28 A known leader among his peers. I've heard it said many times.

24:36 How how has his legacy affected you as a captain just beep go-getter are you know, that's what he was you ask any guy that he worked with. They said man Richie was one guy. You want to go down that hallway with you know, the hot Smokey dark hallway going in there cuz he was fearless and I meant it to me. That was the coolest thing about, you know, I mean he just

25:07 He has a black guy. He was that guy so

25:12 And the Legacy that he left me here guy Steven guys that never met him the new guys that are on the job. Now. It's a man the stories that we hear, you know, if they're Incredible without a meeting they said I love that guy.

25:31 Appearance is extremely tough.

25:38 He thought he had a flat nose. You look like a boxer Irish Irish Rail, you know, he might have thrown hands here in there a couple times. And I remember when we were kids. He told me I'm going to teach you how to fight since I was probably 5 years old 6 years old and goes hit me and he get on his knees and I mean the face and I would help them fight and that there were times where I sat on top of them and he's like, I want your punch me in the nose.

26:10 And I'd had a minute goes out. You're a wuss hit me harder until he starts bleeding any cuz that's what I'm talkin about. Yeah, he was he had hands like clubs like concrete clubs and

26:24 Extremely he was talented Carpenter. He can build anything. Yeah, he built Bernie's Bar who have a good friend of mine. Yeah by my brother used to come down here six weeks at a time, you know, the beauty of being a fireman out schedule. That's where I met Connie. That's where he met his wife here. And so he would come down 6 week. Go back up to New York work a month come back for 6 weeks only guy that could be in Florida and not get a what a suntan right? He said the only time he'll get us lunch and is when they put a skylight inside of a bar.

26:59 I mean this extremely funny things about the stories and it just that he was he was funny without trying to be funny and he was just a goof but yeah, he was he was just a proud Irish guy proud fireman that you know, he'd love that that Legacy of being a New York City Irish fired a good father great father. Yeah. He did. He got the kids but he adopted him right and he loved them tremendously used take me out on the boat all the time fishing and just spend so much time with them anything that and everything that he could do with him he would do and he would give the world to him.

27:46 What time?

27:49 What are some of the tradition ins if any?

27:53 Did you have to honor to honor him to the tower run in his name the distiller run?

28:05 In my hometown of Freeport Long Island. He was a baby with a coma baaraat. You know, he still we spend so much time on the water. So they built a memorial for him and then other firemen from my hometown that that died that day but they built a lighthouse and they were more to memorialize them and yet every year we go there and you know, we will have a little Mass there to the lighthouse to the lighthouse and the whole town comes out 1200 people or show that come out to it and it it's an event and it's it's a beautiful event that they do every year.

28:45 Very nice. Very nice. Are you still in contact with the riches old Cruise all we had so many guys go up there from our department here in Tampa over the years and guys have become great friends out of it and we have guys that are godparents to other guys kids and they vacation together you're as bad as it was there were some great things that came out because otherwise I would never become that close to those guys. Fortunately. This brought us extremely close still talk to him all the time. And now it's funny that all the guys getting older they were tiring. They're almost here. So, you know, and it's like I come on down to Florida. Okay, sounds good, and they do it. Yeah, so you have a good bunch of people you could a bunch of people.

29:42 If if you could ask Richie one question or any Quest set of questions now 14 years later.

29:53 Whether it's about them or whether it's about now.

29:57 What would you ask him?

30:00 You want to go get a beer?

30:02 I'm just to sit down with nothing more than just being his presence.

30:13 You know, I noticed you're wearing two bracelets on your on your rest to stainless steel bracelet and some writing and a big green Shamrock on it on one of them Memorial bracelets. Like I have one for one bracelet. It's Richie and my cousin Kenny then the other bracelet is all the crew 7 truck all the members. They lost. Where did you get those there's a lady that we met that she gave up her job. She was so affected by it and she wanted to do something and she remembered during the Vietnam war that they made these Mi a bracelet. And so she decided to do this and she's made him for us and I don't take them all. How long have you worn those?

31:02 I swapped it out one time for a new one when we were at the White House meeting President Bush to get the Congressional Medal of Valor. And so I did it standing right next to the president. So you pretty much been wearing them since the aftermath never take them off.

31:27 Have you been to the 911 museum? Yes, I made my first trip there in July of this past year and what an extraordinary.

31:42 Heart pulling experience it is. It's

31:47 It's done with such class and dignity and it's beautiful. I told somebody that it is probably the most.

31:58 Horrific

32:00 Terrible thing that every American should have to do at least once. Yes, totally agree. It is so heart-wrenching even even two people that were so far removed from it even

32:18 People that I saw their there were couldn't have been more than four five years old at the time, you know crying as they walk through this place.

32:28 And and like you said Tastefully done it. How do you how do you memorialize something like that and not offend somebody but wow, what a what what a test that annessa one word that you could use to sum it up. It's just wow, you know it's and they didn't they did it so remarkably.

32:55 What would what would you like to say and we're nearing the end of our interview? I think we may have for 5 minutes left.

33:02 What do what would you like to say?

33:06 If anything to anybody who listens to this

33:12 You know, they always use the term never forget.

33:20 And it's sometimes it's easier to forget, you know, if we remember once a year or I should say a lot of people will remember just the once a year, but now they are still firemen and cops and Gazette wrestlers that were down there working that are still sick to this day. Yep.

33:42 Thank goodness. I haven't had any real serious health conditions, but you know, you don't know what the future is going to be.

33:52 Get a it's those those guys gave a lot even though the guys that survived it mentally physically emotionally scarred physically broken mentally broken.

34:06 You're rude.

34:08 I think there's a lot of Denise be a lot of respect for the guy said we're able to walk away from there. Even if they weren't there that day. They were there in the aftermath of uniformed and I need to correct.

34:23 The respect that these guys got to have the some of the things that I know that they saw that app in the aftermath is something that nobody should say it's

34:37 It's horrific and

34:40 You know it will it scars you and it's either this got to be a lot of respect for those guys. I agree with that.

34:52 From which

35:00 You know it.

35:03 Being a fireman.

35:05 And as much as you never wanted to happen, you know every day when you go to work, that's a possibility and I know with my brother he would have been.

35:18 Truly upset if he wasn't there and I repaid for his 40th birthday party that we had just months prior his surprise 40th birthday party and I remember talking to him and I sketchy but he was always like a cowboy on the fireground. I say, you know what rich I said you got start being careful you got kids and you know, just take it easy because I'll be doing the job the job and I said you want to go out that way don't you and he goes, you know what I wouldn't want it any other way.

35:53 That was just months before. Yeah, and I know that he would want to be there and if he was ever.

36:02 To die in line of duty

36:06 He wanted to be there and

36:10 Yeah, so I think he he went out the way that he wanted to like a rockstar on his own terms yet on his own.

36:19 That was the last face-to-face conversation I had with him.

36:26 I was something.

36:29 It was something.

36:33 Well, I guess that's going to do it. I prank you Brian. Thank you. Kelly my brother my brother from another mother.