Mar 12, 2021 Chris O’Toole of West Nyack didn’t hear from her New York City Firefighter husband Joseph for 2 days after 9/11. Toolie, as he was called, was off duty on 9/11 and had gone to work his side job as a carpet Installer. When he got word of the attack, he immediately called Chris to say he was heading to his firehouse in The Bronx. Chris remembers the call lasted just a few seconds. Cellphones were going down. Toolie called Chris again when he arrived at Ladder 41, telling her he didn’t know when he’d be able to call again, that they were heading to respond. There was no shielding the children. Their oldest, Jeanette, has just started a teaching job in Westchester. Beth was a junior in college. Brian was only a junior in high school but was already following in Toolie’s footsteps, volunteering with the West Nyack Fire Department. Chris kept calling the firehouse but no one there knew if Toolie was ok. The family spent the next two days panicked, not knowing if Toolie was dead or alive until he finally was able to call Thursday. They didn’t’ see him again until Sunday, 5 days after 9/11.