Battalion 10 begins with Engine 22. Firefighter Thomas Casoria, 29, was due to be married on October 13th. His father has reported that Casoria was last heard from when he radioed his Captain to say he and two other firefighters were helping a paraplegic evacuate from the 5th floor of 1 WTC. A little later he radioed again to say a firefighter was down.
In some of the survivor reports from “WTC: In Their Own Words,” there are references to firefighters with chest pains or needing oxygen. Don’t know if that was Casoria’s reference to a firefighter down. Don’t know if he was able to safely evacuate the paraplegic then go back in.
Casoria had been on the force for three years, although he waited almost five years between his exam and being called up. His brother, Carlo, was in the same class at the academy. “He was my go-to guy. He would be there for me,” he said.