"I Was Meant to Be There": The Heroic Story of NYPD Chief Terri Tobin

Chief Terri Tobin often says it was “in her genes” to join the New York Police Department (NYPD). Her family had a history in law enforcement, and as she saw the camaraderie and fulfillment her family members got from being in that field, she decided to take the NYPD recruitment test soon after graduating from college.

On 9/11, Tobin was a lieutenant reporting to the NYPD Office of Public Information. That morning was Election Day in New York City, so Tobin voted and then immediately went into work.  

Chief Tom Fahey called Tobin soon after the first tower was hit and told her to respond with another sergeant. Like many others that day, Tobin and her coworkers did not know that Flight 11 had been intentionally flown into the North Tower; they did not even know that it had been a commercial airplane. 

Just as Tobin got out of her car at the World Trade Center, she heard the roar of a plane engine above her and watched as Flight 175 flew into the South Tower. “It was such a fierce explosion,” she said. “It was unbelievable.” Tobin and her fellow officers quickly began to evacuate people out of the South Tower for almost an hour.  

The confusion of the day would continue, and in some ways, that confusion may also have helped to save Tobin’s life. Hearing reports of a third plane in the area, Deputy Commissioner Joe Dunne instructed Tobin to go to the Emergency Service Unit to get a Kevlar Helmet, which she did. 

Suddenly, Tobin heard what she thought was the sound of a train, the rumbling and grating of metal against itself. This was the collapse of the South Tower. The force sent her flying across the street: twisting her ankle, permanently damaging her hearing, and launching a chunk of cement and rebar into her Kevlar Helmet. While the helmet blunted the force of the impact, it was still strong enough to split the helmet in two and embed it into her skull. The debris and smoke from the Tower’s collapse soon enveloped the area in darkness.  

Tobin eventually found other officers who she knew and intended to help them direct people to boats that were evacuating people out of Manhattan. It was only after an officer stopped her that she discovered she had a six-inch piece of glass wedged between her shoulder blades. She was evacuated by boat to a hospital, where she went immediately into surgery.

Like many others who responded on 9/11 and participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero, Tobin developed illnesses and pain related to the attacks. Despite everything, she says, “9/11 confirmed that I was doing exactly what I was meant to do.” 

After 9/11, Tobin received a Medal of Valor for her actions that day. She continued to work in the NYPD until she retired as Chief of Interagency Operations in 2024. 

This September, participants around the world can hear Chief Terri Tobin’s story, in her own words, as a part of the 2026 Anniversary Digital Learning Experience. Register for this free program today.