'Failures' hampered 11 Sept rescue effort

The New York Fire Department's response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre on 11 September was hampered by serious defects in radio communications and lapses in co-ordination, according to a draft report from an independent consultant.

The draft, large parts of which have been seen by The New York Times, makes plain that the firefighters showed extreme bravery. But it itemises specific failings in the response, chiefly that radio contact was lost with the firefighters who ascended the towers. An order to evacuate, given an hour before the north tower collapsed, was, for example, never acknowledged.

Also critical was the lack of co-ordination with police. Fire service commanders did not receive reports from police helicopters monitoring the progress of the fires and the state of the twin towers' structures.

The report, which has been compiled by McKinsey & Company, also says that some firefighters and senior officers rushed to the scene without first being assigned a specific role. The report is expected to be released next week.