Affton Fire Captain Jim Cova Remembers Sept. 11

“I think it was the week before Sept. 11, I resigned from my other job at Frontenac Fire Department, and was scheduled to start at Affton on Sept. 15. So during the course of the whole 9/11 events, I was sitting at home, you know, basically between jobs. Not knowing what... I would expect when I started my new job here at Affton,” said Captain Jim Cova, 41, of Affton Engine House 2. 

Captain Cova lives in High Ridge with his wife and two daughters, ages 14 and 6, but he grew up in Affton, attended St. George Elementary and Bayless High School, and was looking forward to coming back.

“I know a lot of people rushed off to join the military; at that time it wasn’t really an option for me,” said Cova. “I had young kids at home, and you know it’s great that everyone stepped up and joined the military at that time, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that.”

As Cova began his new job in Affton, he noticed that people were looking more favorably on the fire and police departments, after seeing what risks had been taken to save people in he aftermath of Sept. 11. 

“I think the momentum kept going for a few years, and hopefully it hasn’t stopped. And I think this anniversary is going to make people think again how important it was, the amount of lives that were lost, you know not only civilian, but the firemen and police,” said Cova.

Captain Cova also noted a shift in training right after Sept. 11, with an emphasis on mass casualty training and terrorist attacks, but it was nothing like New York.

“We do the mass casualty training, but I mean it’s hard to do a practical scenario with that many, just thousands of people. It wouldn’t compare to what they have out there. When we think of mass casualty here, we’re maybe thinking a busload of people or something like that. When you start to get into the hundreds of thousands I don’t know how you’re going to even begin to train for something like that,” said Cova.

Cova says he thinks everyone is getting back to the belief that it’s never going to happen here, but you never know.

“The training’s still out there. I think that maybe people opt for other training scenarios that are more practical to what we do every day,” said Cova, “but like I said, the training’s out there if you’re willing to look for it.”