SUGGESTED QUESTIONS FOR ALAN REISS

1. As of September 10, were helicopter evacuations/rescues ruled out or merely

discouraged? Were civilians informed of this policy during fire drills?

2. The Port Authority claims the fire emergency plan was for civilians to evacuate
from the fire floor and the one above and to descend to a point at least two floors
below the fire; because of the general unfeasibility of rooftop operations, civilians
were allegedly instructed always to evacuate down; what was the plan for
civilians trapped on (high) floors above a fire (in the event a fire was not localized
to one particular area on a floor?)

3. Why were doors leading to the roof kept locked? Who had keys? Was there a
lock release order protocol for an emergency situation? Were civilians informed
that the doors to the roof were locked and/or give any information about the
hazards associated with the (north tower) rooftop?

4. Were civilians told about the unusual configurations of the A and C stairwells?

5. Did the Port Authority contemplate conducting either full or partial evacuation
drills?

6. Did the Port Authority make an effort to coordinate with tenant-companies which
had developed their own evacuation plans so that civilians would not be given
conflicting advice?

7. Given that the Port Authority was exempted from the requirements of city
building codes, in what areas did the design of the towers comply with, exceed, or
fail to meet, code?

8. The Port Authority claims that two of the building's three stairwells met code
requirements for width and that the third (stairwell B) was actually six inches
wider. Despite compliance with technical requirements, at the time of
construction did the Port Authority contemplate making staircases wider to
accommodate the large number of people expected to be working in the towers
(approx 25,000 each) who would have to use the stairways in the event an
evacuation was required?
9. The stairwells—which were to function as emergency escape routes—became
consumed with smoke because they were constructed with drywall (sheetrock)
rather than concrete walls. Was this in accordance with NYC building code?

10. We understand mat there were no specific standard operating procedures for what
a deputy fire safety director in charge of making evacuation decisions in one
tower should do if a major explosion/fire took place in the other tower. We
further understand that most of the people instrumental in the decision to keep
tenants in the south tower after the north tower was hit on the morning of
September 11th died that morning, so a definitive answer cannot be given as to the
motivation for that instruction. Can you tell us, to the best of your knowledge,
why you believe that instruction would have been given?

11. We understand that the public address system, despite its sophisticated design,
may have failed to function as a result of the enormity of the plane's impact.
Because this fact was not known that morning, is it correct to assume that the fire
safety directors in the lobbies of the two towers proceeded to transmit instructions
over the PA system after the respective buildings were struck? To the best of
your knowledge, what instructions were given? Did any building personnel
receive information from the NYPD about the possibility of helicopter rescues? If
so, was there an attempt to transmit this information over the PA system?
 ALAN REISS
Former Director
World Trade Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Alan joined the Port Authority's Aviation Department in November 2001 as its Deputy
Director. He is responsible for one of the world's largest regional airport systems
comprising Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport,
LaGuardia Airport, Teterboro Airport and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. Together
they handle 25% of the international passengers arriving in the US and 6% of the
country's domestic passengers.

Alan was formally the Director of the World Trade Department that ran the World Trade
Center until its net lease in 2001. He was an integral member of the net lease team for the
WTC and implemented at the same time innovative customer service programs. These
programs led to the highest occupancy levels and Grain's NY recognized him for
changing the way the way the PA did business. The WTC won the prestigious Building
Owner & Managers Association Building of the Year awards both locally and in the mid
Atlantic region in 2000 under his direction.

He has been successful in a series of increasingly responsible management positions in

the Port Authority, starting in 1984 in the Engineering Dept, and including facility
electrical engineer, Supervising Engineer, Manager of Capital Programs for the World
Trade Dept., General Manager Operations, Life Safety & Security, General Property
Manager One WTC and finally as Director of the World Trade Dept in 1999. Alan was
appointed Special Assistant to the Director in 1993 where he was responsible for the
rebuilding of the infrastructure of the facility after the terrorist attack. Alan has served on
the boards of the Building Owners & Managers Association of NY & Realty Advisory
Board for Labor Relations in NY.

Alan received his BSEE from Northeastern University in Boston and worked for a local
utility building and running power plants prior to joining the PA.