Bucks County District Judge Served At Ground Zero On 9/11

Kevin Wagner at Ground Zero during the search.
Credit: Kevin Wagner

When the first airliner struck the World Trade Center North Tower on September 11, 2001, Kevin Wagner was in the Bath Road courthouse he now oversees as district judge. At the time, the Bristol Township resident was working as the elected constable and carrying out his regular duties.

When the plane struck the South Tower and it was clear America was under attack, the constable said he went home shortly after.

“I was at home watching it on TV,” Wagner recalled of hours after the towers were struck. “It was tough to watch.”

Within hours of the attacks unfolding, Wagner and fellow constables Joe Coffman, John Cornon, Donny Lorady, Ken Lee, and Walt Swinehart were traveling from Lower Bucks County to New York City. They were headed up to offer whatever aid they could as the nation stood in a state of shock.

Wagner said he traveled through the Holland Tunnel after his law enforcement identification card was checked by an FBI special agent.

Arriving near Ground Zero a little more than 12 hours after the second plane struck, the six constables weren’t sure what to expect or what their duties would be. They suspected they might be assisting with securing the scene or directing traffic.

“They said we were helping out with search and rescue,” he recalled to LevittownNow.com. “They sent us in the heart of Ground Zero with a gurney and body bags.”

The group went to work searching at the American Express Tower, the 739-foot-tall pyramid-topped skyscraper that sat next to the World Trade Center towers.

“It was extremely striking to see it,” he said. “It was indescribable.”

As the group worked together to look for survivors at Ground Zero, they found the remains of a businessman, his shoes indicated he was at the center for work that day.

They began clearing debris and were quickly joined by numerous other emergency workers who removed the man’s body.

“There had to be 30 people who came over. Everyone was helping,” he said.

As Wagner and the other constables surveyed the scene, he kept looking around in awe of the devastation and magnitude of the disaster.

“I had to take it in and say: ‘am I really here?’” he recalled.

Wagner said the constables had to stick together because their Bucks County radios didn’t work so far away from home. They searched the debris alongside New York City police and firefighters and responders from other areas, including a police K-9 team from Canada.

The six Bucks County constables worked through the next day before Wagner and a few others had to return to Pennsylvania for classes, but he said some constables remained to help.

The things seen on September 11 and September 12 at Ground Zero will stay with Wagner forever.

Prior to the attacks, Wagner had never been to New York City and he hasn’t returned since.

One day, he thinks he’ll return to the memorial at the World Trade Center site, but he’s not ready yet.

Looking back at the past 20 years, Wagner said he is happy there hasn’t been another attack like September 11, 2001. He always hopes the nation will never see another attack.

“You always wonder, and you always hope that nothing happens,” he said.

The district judge said he does fondly recall the spirit of togetherness and unity in the days after the attacks.

When asked about his participation on at Ground Zero, he simply said: “we did what we could.”