9/11

Tony Benatatos:
Has it made me a man... What's a man?

[about Tony, the rookie]

James Hanlon:
Don't get me wrong, there were fires... just not when Tony was on duty. The kid was one VERY white cloud.

[Tony's first day on the job]

Lt. Walsh:
You need to sit down? You wanna stop calling me 'Sir'?

[Tony gets his first paycheck, which isn't that much money]

Tony Benatatos:
If I wanted to get rich, I would have become a lawyer. I wanted something I'd be able to live with for the rest of my life. This, I can live with.

Jules Naudet:
When I came back that day, to the firehouse, one firefighter came to me and he said, "You know, yesterday, you had one brother. Today, you have fifty."

Tony Benatatos:
[after lowering the station flag to 1/2 mast] I don't want to ever have to put that thing at 1/2 mast again for the rest of my career. That's it.

Robert DeNiro:
There's a saying in the fire service: When you go too long without any fires, be prepared: Something big is coming.

Tony Benetatos:
[seeing the Pentagon burning] I can't believe the f***ing Pentagon... somebody has BALLS.

Chief Larry Burns (Ret):
I told the probie, 'Get your gear, LET'S GO.'

Tony Benetatos:
I know it's either this... or the Army now. And I like savin' lives, I don't like taking them. But after what I saw... if my country decides to send me... to go kill... I'll... I'll do it now.

[Capt. Tardio is inspecting Tony's uniform]

Capt. Dennis Tardio:
You have an iron at home?

Tony Benatatos:
Actually I do not, sir.

Capt. Dennis Tardio:
You don't?

[Another firefighter jumps into the shot]

Firefighter:
Probie in a lot of trouble. Take two.

[addressing a classroom full of rookie firemen]

Instructor:
When you get out there, it's the real world. Don't be no hot-dog, show-off jerk. Pay attention to the senior men, and do what you're told.

[after the firefighters gradually return to the station house]

John O'Neill:
I never got so many hugs in my life... they were "glad to be alive" hugs.

[Jules tries to cook a French meal for the firefighters, but doesn't make enough food]

Firefighter:
Couple more meals like this, we'll be able to share shirts.

Jules Naudet:
Alright, alright, I got a small piece, so what. My mistake.

[camera cuts to James Hanlon and Gedeon, who burst out laughing]

Jules Naudet:
There was a person that was on fire just out of shot, and I decided that I didn't want to film that. I said, "No one should see this".

James Hanlon:
At the time, we didn't think that there could be anything worse than losing a single firefighter. Looking back, we were all kind of innocent