Alfred P Murrah Building

Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma Publishing Company (OPUBCO) http://www.newsok.com/At 902 AM on April 19 1995 a tremendous explosion rocked the foundations of America and played havoc with the residents of Oklahoma City. A rental truck with the sole and evil intent to kill and wound was driven to this building and parked intentionally on the side that a child care center was housed and detonated. The result, 168 deaths and over 490 injuries. Among the dead were 19 young children that had their lives stolen from them and the lives of their siblings and friends forever altered. The response to this event was enormous, bringing responders from across the country.

Recently, I was able to attend a class with a Captain from Fairfax County (VA) Fire Department who happened to respond with the task force to this incident. I didn't pry, even though I was interested, about the response and what he saw. He did speak of the unforgetable sights of devastation and tragic loss of life he saw. The scene was huge and chaotic, even after it was organized. He did tell me of the Oklahoma Firefighters that were on scene with him. He spoke highly of the men and women that took the event in stride and managed to live through this tragic event and operate in extreme conditions that most departments would crumble under.

He told me of men that would pull a 24 hour shift on duty then report to the site and pull 16 hours digging through the rubble, then go home for 6-7 hours and report back to work for 24 more hours. The Pyschological stress of the initial response alone should have crippled the department and the physical strain on manpower had to be overwhelming, but somehow the department and its membership managed to survive and mitigate the situation quickly and in an effective fashion.

Please visit the memorial site here and you can view Oklahoma City FD here

Here is a page dedicated to the investigation. Oklahoma City fire Capt. Chris Fields carries 1-year-old Baylee Almon (who later died as a result of her injuries), injured in the bombing at the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. This photo was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for photographer Charles H. Porter IV. The massive response to the bombing and support services on scene Unidentified rescuer taking a break with his K9. After a report of another possible bomb staff from hospital retreat to a safer location

There is a very nice memorial with a reflecting pond and 168 seats that provides the families of the victims a place to mourn on the site of the building. I haven't been able to find a picture of it for this post, but if I do I will post it.