TMEN7AL RECOGNITION REQUEST /•)£-/fj

'39-162 (Rev. 5-92)-h2 Jft '

Pct- Serial No No. of Personnel Submitted for

SUBJECT^TF REQUESTED RECOGN1TIO/ ^EPT EMBER 11 ^°C)1 A-

DATE OF OCCURRENCE (Month, Da£. Year)

BYLICKI. RICHARD -1 L- / n, E , M .
RANK NAME (last, First, M.I.) TAX. R£fi. COMMAND

3721 RESPONDER [H ON DUTY El OFF DUTY MEMBER INJURED EP^YES D NO

SHIELD NO. DUTY PERFORMED

TYPE OF INCJDENT: D COMMUNITY SERVIC^ D PROBLEM^OLVI^ D ARREST/ LJ^RESCUE D INTELLIGENCE

D OTHER

REMARKS:
SEE ATTACHED 49

9/11 Personal Privacy

Upon investigation and verification of the events surrounding this incident,

the actions of the uniformed officer as stated in the attached description
are deserving of consideration of Department Recognition.

Recommended By: 2T MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT D MEMBER OF COMMUNITY

SDIATE 6/20/03 PETER PICARILLO

SUPERVISOR Date (Monlh. Day. Year) Rank Name (Print) First Last

6/20/03 PETER MCQUILLAN

INVESTIGATING
OFFICER Dats (Month, Day, Year) Rank Name (Print) First Last \e

DISTRIBUTION: 1 WHITE, 2 YELLOW - BORO COMMANDER 3 GREEN - MEMBER'S PERSONAL FOLDER

- 4 BLUE - REQUESTING MEMBER 5 PINK - COMMAND FILE
 9/11 Personal P r i v a c y

POLICE DEPARTMENT
City of New York \e 19, 2003

From: ' Sergeant Richard Bylicki (Retired), Tax ^ |

To: First Deputy Commissioner (Through Channels)

Subject: Request For Department Recognition, Actions Taken On

September 11th, 2001

I arrived at 7 WTC at approximately 0630hours, for final preparations for an

interagency exercise that was to be held the following day. I was preparing paperwork
and was walking toward the window facing the towers when I heard a loud, missile type
noise and looked up and saw the explosion / fireball-in the North tower.. I took a second •
to compose myself and went toward the executive offices of 1st Deputy Director John
Odermatt who heard the explosion and was attempting to find out what had happened, we
met in the hallway and I directed him back to my work area for the best view of the
incident.

Director Odermatt quickly debriefed me and instructed me to open the Emergency

Operations Center (EOC) for a fully staffed operation, which 1 did. While in the EOC I
assisted the Watch Command in handling an enormous influx of telephone calls, many
from top City officials. During this time I observed the second plane hit the South tower
via live video feed. I realized at this time these acts were intentional. Immediately
following the second attack 7 WTC lost primary power and switched to auxiliary
generators. The fire alarm enunciator panel lit up indicating there was no water pressure
for fire suppression in the building. I was soon on the phone with the FAA who informed
me that at least 1 other plane was unaccounted for and possibly heading for NYC. I
informed Deputy Director and FDNY Captain Richard Rotanz who was the highest-
ranking OEM official in the building at the time. Captain Rotanz surmised that 7 WTC
was potentially the next target and subsequently ordered an evacuation of all OEM and
building employees. The OEM staffs assembled in the lobby of 7 WTC, and were
awaiting instructions via radio.

At this time Rotanz needed to communicate with Director Sheirer or John

Odermatt. Rotanz and I began to make our way to the FDNY command post in the North
tower. We cautiously and methodically crossed over the damaged, glass footbridge,
which traversed Vesey Street and connected 7 WTC the rest of the WTC complex. We
climbed over numerous dead human bodies and body parts as well as pieces of aircraft
fuselage and fallen building debris all the while trying to avoid building occupants that
were jumping from the engulfed tower. The attempt to cross the promenade was
extremely chaotic given the circumstances, compounded by hundreds of building
occupants fleeing the scene as we were trying to enter.
 We finally arrived in the North tower and made entry through a broken door. We
were crossing over the interior atrium when we felt the building start to shake, not
realizing the South tower was collapsing (we thought the 3rd plane hit the building).
Rotanz and I took cover along side a building column and waited through the seemingly
endless, thunderous crash that lasted approximately 20-30 seconds. We could feel the
heat and see the flames passing over our heads. Suddenly, everything went dark. Once
the flames died down and the smoke and dust started to clear we were able to touch each
other in the rubble and barely talk. We climbed out and saw death and destruction all
over again, people were literally crushed to death right next to us. Rotanz and I managed
to make a clearing to the doorway and helped between 30-40 victims survive that
immediate area. I helped another police officer (name unknown) covered from head to
toe in blood that said his partner had just been killed by the collapse. I carried him to an
ambulance on the street. Rotanz and myself separated at this point. I continued to assist
the injured officer at the ambulance when the North tower began to collapse. I took
cover in a lobby doorway until the next wave of smoke and dust passed and was able to
escape the immediate area. Thankfully, I managed to survive the event with only a minor
physical injury, a dislocated finger (LOD# on File).

I later met up with Director Odermatt at a west side firehouse and accompanied
him to 1 PP to assist in rescue and recovery strategies.
 Page 1 of 4

HONOR BOARD

THE PURPOSE OF THE HONOR BOARD IS TO REVIEW DEPARTMENTAL

RECOGNITION REQUESTS FOR HONORABLE MENTION AND EXCEPTIONAL MERIT. THE
BOARD ALSO REVIEWS APPEALS OF AWARDS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED IN PERSONNEL
ORDERS. THE HONOR BOARD IS COMPOSED OF TWO (2) INSPECTORS AND ONE (1)
DEPUTY INSPECTOR. THE RANKING INSPECTOR WELL BE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
REVIEW BOARD. UPON COMPLETION OF EACH REQUEST, THE REVIEW BOARD MUST
INDICATE ITS RECOMMENDATION AFTER THE FIFTH ENDORSEMENT. IF MORE SPACE
IS REQUIRED FOR "REMARKS", USE PLAIN WHITE SHEETS. WHEN ALL THREE
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD DO NOT AGREE ON THE GRADE OF RECOGNITION TO BE
AWARDED, THE MAJORITY VOTE WILL PREVAIL. EACH SIGNATURE MUST BE
ACCOMPANIED BY RANK AND DATE. RATIONALE FOR GRADE AWARDED MUST BE
BREEFLY GIVEN (SEE BELOW) UNDER REASON FOR GRADE OF RECOGNITION.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX^QCXXXXXXXXXX^^

1. THE ATTACHED IS A REQUEST FOR DEPARTMENTAL RECOGNITION IN

THE GRADE OF: HONORABLE MENTION -O.E.M.-01 09/11/01
FOR THE FOLLOWING OFFICER:

HONOR BOARD
RANK NAME COMMAND RECOMMENDATION

SGT. RICHARD BYLICKI - 912578 O.E.M.

REASON FOR GRADE OF RECOGNITION

7 /

2. ALL QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS MAY BE

REFERRED TO P.A.A. 's B. CONNIE HICKSON OF THE HONOR COMMITTEE, AT
(646) 610-6860.