EPISODE 26 — ALAN LEWIS RAW CONVERSATION NOW LIVE — SEPTEMBER 11“NEVER FORGET.”This is one of the most important and deeply personal conversations I have had on Alan Lewis RAW Conversation.In Episode 26, I am joined by Alexander Blackwell, the daughter of Chris Blackwell, the highly decorated FDNY firefighter who tragically lost his life on September 11, 2001.Chris was a 20-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, spending his final 12 years with Rescue Company 3 in the Bronx. He was also a paramedic for 24 years, had received several FDNY medals for bravery and was involved in teaching technical rescue, including collapse and void-search techniques.Chris was a man who dedicated his life to helping others.On September 11, 2001, he and his fellow firefighters from Rescue 3 responded to the World Trade Center. Like so many first responders that day, Chris ran towards danger while others were desperately trying to escape it.Sadly, he never came home.A CONVERSATION THAT GOES DEEPThis interview isn’t simply about September 11.It is about Chris the firefighter, Chris the paramedic, Chris the friend, Chris the father and Chris the person.During this conversation, we go back to when Bernie Meehan Jr. first met Chris, and Bernie shares his own memories and experiences of the man he knew.Bernie, a firefighter and paramedic whom I previously interviewed on Alan Lewis RAW Conversation, was a close friend of Chris and a family friend. Having someone who personally knew Chris adds another extraordinary and very human perspective to this conversation.We hear about Chris’s experience, his bravery, his dedication to rescue work and some of the incredible things he did throughout his career.But perhaps most importantly, we talk about what happened after the towers were struck — and what it meant for the families waiting for their loved ones to come home.We explore the reality that many families faced that day: the uncertainty, the waiting, the desperate hope, the fear of not knowing what had happened to someone they loved, and eventually the devastating realisation that their loved one would not be coming home.This is a conversation about first responders and the families behind them.Because when a firefighter, police officer, paramedic or other first responder goes to work, they don’t go alone.Their family carries the worry, the pride, the sacrifice and, sometimes, the unimaginable loss.RAW. HONEST. PERSONAL.As always on Alan Lewis RAW Conversation, this interview is raw, truthful and real.There are no scripted answers.There are difficult moments.There are memories.There are stories.And there are lessons about courage, family, friendship and sacrifice that I believe everyone should hear.Twenty-five years later, we must continue to tell these stories — not only so that we remember what happened, but so that future generations understand the people behind the names.Chris Blackwell is one of those names.And today, through the memories of his daughter Alexander and his close friend Bernie Meehan Jr., we remember the man behind the uniform.We remember his courage.We remember his sacrifice.We remember his family.And we remember Chris.
