ESU Veteran Recalls a Career of Service and Sacrifice

Growing up in Brentwood, retired New York City Police Department Emergency Service Unit Lt. Owen McCaffrey never imagined the career that lay ahead. Inspired by a family rooted in public service, he would spend decades protecting New Yorkers before responding to one of the darkest days in American history.

McCaffrey shared his story during an interview with historian Richard Acritelli on The Fog of War and Humanity on hmTv.

The son of a New York City firefighter, McCaffrey joined the Brentwood Volunteer Fire Department at 18 before choosing a career in law enforcement. He entered the New York City Housing Authority Police in 1983, working in the crime-ridden Lower East Side during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic.

Following promotions and the merger of the Housing Police into the NYPD, McCaffrey joined the elite Emergency Service Unit, where officers serve as the department’s tactical and rescue specialists. ESU members handle hostage situations, high-angle rescues, underwater operations, and other dangerous emergencies while maintaining EMT certification.

McCaffrey also participated in presidential security details and earned the prestigious Top Cops Award for helping stop suspected suicide bombers before they could carry out an attack.

On Sept. 11, 2001, McCaffrey had just returned home from a midnight shift when his brother called to report that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. He raced into Manhattan, arriving minutes after the second tower collapsed.

For months afterward, McCaffrey supervised officers at Ground Zero, where rescue efforts soon became a recovery mission.

He also remembered Sgt. Michael Curtin, a fellow ESU supervisor, Marine veteran, and Rocky Point High School graduate who died after refusing to leave the North Tower until civilians and fellow officers had escaped. Nearly 25 years later, McCaffrey said the courage and sacrifice displayed that day remain an enduring reminder of duty, service, and resilience.