25 years, We Remember

FM Generator Answers the Call 

September 11, 2001 

In the hours following the attacks, FM Generator President Michael Molway and three members of the FM team were called upon to help support the recovery effort in New York City.

The team headed toward the city with generators, fuel, equipment, parts and supplies. Their work would take them into New York City’s “Red Zone,” where access was restricted and the conditions were unlike anything they had encountered before.

What began as an urgent need for generator power quickly became an around-the-clock effort. Equipment had to be delivered and brought online, generators needed to be fueled and maintained, and the team had to be ready to respond as new needs emerged.

There was no normal service schedule and no way to predict what would be needed next. The team worked in the field alongside telecommunications crews, first responders and others involved in the recovery effort.

Their job was to help wherever their expertise and equipment were needed.

The Days That Followed

Getting critical sites back online was only the beginning.

As the response continued, the FM team remained in the field. Generators needed to be fueled and maintained, equipment had to be moved as priorities changed, and new requests for support continued to come in.

Working in the Field

The team worked alongside telecommunications crews and others involved in the response, providing generators, fuel, equipment and technical support to help keep critical systems operating.

As one site was stabilized, attention could quickly shift to another. The team continued responding as priorities changed and new needs emerged throughout the affected area.

Prepared for Whatever Came Next

With access to parts and supplies limited, the team carried what they might need with them. Their vehicles were loaded with tools, parts and equipment so problems could be addressed in the field without losing valuable time.

Michael Molway would later describe it simply as having a “shop on wheels.”

Mike Molway Remembers 

 Mike Molway, President of FM Generator at the time, traveled into New York City on September 11 and became part of the effort to restore critical communications power. 

 From navigating checkpoints to working beneath a Duane Reade to help restore communications power to the New York Stock Exchange, Mike's firsthand account provides a glimpse into an experience that few could have anticipated.

Watch Mike's Story 

From the FM Archives 

 Photos, news coverage and materials preserved from FM Generator's response provide a look back at those days.