Title: Message

Brian Clark's story

Brian Clark is a Canadian who lives in New Jersey. He was in his office on the 84th floor of the World Trade Centre when the first airliner struck. The next day, Clark spoke with Allison Smith of CBC News.

"We saw flames in the other tower. We knew we were all right. Then there was an announcement — 'building two is secure. No need to evacuate. You may return to your offices.'"

At first, Brian Clark heeded that advice.

"It was 18 minutes after the first impact and KABOOM."

Clark was still in his office when the second passenger jet crashed into his building — several floors below his 84th floor office.

"There were door frames that had twisted out of the

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What to do in a high rise emergency
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drywall and ripped apart; suddenly it was very dusty, and I had a flashlight and suddenly it was like having a headlight on in the fog. Like a foggy night, and we began our decent."

"We only went about flour floors down to about 81 when we met people coming up. They said 'don't go down there's fire.' They convinced several of our people to go back up. I didn't like that logic. As I was debating in my own mind as to what to do, I heard someone banging on the wall."

That turned out to be a pivotal moment that would save his life. Clark did not go up. He went to free a man named Stan who had called out for help. He was trapped by debris. Clark led him to the fire stairwell.

"In the time of the distraction of him and getting him out and bringing him back to the stairwell, the other


Brian Clark was interviewed by CBC-TV's Allison Smith on Sept. 12, 2001
group I had started with to lead down, had gone back up. There was no debate in my mind at this point, we're going down. And it was eerie because it was just the two of us, just Stan and I."

Brian Clark's plan was to go down. If not for Stan, he might have been talked out of it.

"My friend Stan…saved my life…because he got me out of the debate. He pulled me off the floor or the stairwell, where the debate about should we go up or should we go down, and they went up and I came back and it wasn't a debate any longer. Stan and I went down."

Clark is currently looking for new office space for his company, Euro Brokers Inc. While Clark searches, Euro Brokers is sharing space with Prudential Securities in downtown Manhattan.

There are a few main criteria Clark is considering in his search for office space:

  • commuting — how to make the company's 220 employees happy
  • psychological criteria — lower floors might make people fee more comfortable
  • height — because the office has a large trading floor, this has to be a consideration for his company's new location

Clark has a second chance at life — he spends more time developing relationships with those around him: workmates, neighbours, people who he goes to church with.

"It's just a natural thing to do now. It sustains me."


LINKS
Toronto Fire Department on High-Rise Safety
National Research Council
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
World Trade Centre images

The Story | What to do in a high rise emegency |
Brian Clark's story

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