Rob Serra ’97 speaks to students about his experience as an FDNY firefighter on 9/11. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.
On September 11, 2025, on the 24th anniversary of 9/11 and the terrible events that happened, alumnus Rob Serra ‘97 visited campus to share his personal experiences as a NYFD firefighter on 9/11 with students. Many students who chose to attend the event were able to hear about his horrific experience through his eyes, as well as his firefighting and hockey careers.
After the event, I was lucky enough to conduct a 1-on-1 interview with Mr. Serra. When I asked about the day of 9/11 and when he was on the scene, on “Ground Zero.” I asked about his thought process and whether his actions were instinctual or if he was mentally present.
“I spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly where I was physically in Manhattan. You know, I grew up in the city, and I couldn’t recognize anything,” Serra said. “I remember thinking how messed up it was. It was clear that it was a very serious situation. You know, at a certain point, I think I did go into shock, which is when everything kind of gets blurred for me. There was a lot of blood. It’s hard to really think, but yeah, I think anyone that has gone through something like that, creates different memories for what actually happened, but that’s just because of your body’s natural defense system.”
Serra ’97 next to his FDNY helmet. Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge.
I asked about hockey after 9/11, and if he had any lingering effects, such as physical damage that affected him during hockey. “Yes, that is a great question. Not necessarily at first, but as I got a little bit older, like into my later 20s, I started noticing that I couldn’t recover my breath,” he said. “My face would swell up, which I know now was the sinus polyps, and I noticed I started getting numbness and cramping in my legs. I know now that it is because I have a peripheral neuropathy,” Serra added. “I started noticing it, that’s actually when I started to stop playing for the main FDNY teams because I just physically couldn’t recover anymore, I felt like my muscles weren’t getting oxygen.”
Serra’s FDNY helmet. Photo: Colten Murphy ’26.
When talking about how the passing of his mother during his time at Northwood affected his mental state while playing and if he played for her, he said, “I think initially I did. The year it happened, which was my junior year, I did, and I had a very good year hockey-wise. So yeah, that kind of motivated me, and then when I came back for my senior year, I kind of alluded to it. That time off and that time at home. By the time I came back here, it kind of had the opposite effect. Instead of it motivating me, it made me sadder that she wasn’t here once the initial shock of her passing went away,” Serra added.
The students all appreciated and thanked him for coming and sharing his personal experiences about that day, his service as a firefighter, his hockey career, and his life after.
