Becoming a first-responder on 9/11

On the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, Byram Township resident Allan Samson was enjoying an early breakfast with two of his three children, Quincy and Rachel, at Sparta Bagels when his beeper began to buzz.

Samson, then supervisory agent in charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, was told that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower and to get to the office in Hoboken immediately.

Samson calmly yet quickly gathered his children for a fast drive home. He said goodbye to his wife, Suzanne, who had been watching the news.

With lights and sirens blaring, he sped off in his government-issued black Dodge Durango - so fast that on his arrival in Hoboken, the vehicle’s tire treads were worn and nearly burning.

With the South Tower also struck and both buildings bellowing fire and smoke, he mobilized his 15-person team.

“From our office, we could see what was happening and knew we were under attack,” said Samson, who as the agency’s seventh employee had been given the credential 007. “Communication lines were out, and people were gathering across the river near docks adjacent the New York Mercantile Exchange.

“Before the U.S Coast Guard gave the all-hand call, we engaged ferry boat officials, who without hesitation began making treks across the river to bring people on board to the safety of New Jersey landings - as the towers burned, collapsed and all hell broke loose.”

Samson and his team boarded the ferries to help coordinate the rescues and ensure calm, security and safety, including avoiding overcrowding that could capsize a boat.

“In effect and ironic to some, the Postal Service was a first-responder,” he said. “My agents and I focused on helping people who were frightened and confused, doing our best to calm a chaotic and developing situation, engaging as best we could with other authorities, and responding as we had been trained to do.

“We got people out safely and, in effect, became the first true law enforcement presence on the ferries. We did our jobs. By day’s end, we were covered in smoke, dust and sweat with the smell and taste of terror in our nostrils and mouths - something you can never forget.”

What he learned

Samson’s 9/11 experience and unconventional life journey are detailed in his recently released book, “All That I’ve Learned While Answering the Call - Making the Most Out of Life’s Lessons Under Ordinary and Extraordinary Circumstances.”

The highly experienced and decorated global safety and security strategist takes a deep look at learning how to listen to the messages delivered through events in one’s life.

“I’ve been able to live a life of purpose, even under unimaginable circumstances,” said Samson, 57. “My story offers hope and a chance to learn from everything life offers - gaining insights from my experiences and life lessons.”

Born in Haiti, he and his four siblings spent their early years in the care of their maternal grandmother, aunts and uncles during the torturous regime of Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as Baby Doc.

His mother, Alucia, had gone to New York to set up a new home base.

“One day, we were taken to Port-au-Prince where I briefly met our father - the only time we ever met. My siblings and I boarded a plane with my mother, who had returned to Haiti to bring us to the United States. My grandmother and the rest of the family stayed behind. Then it was off to mom’s cramped apartment in an impoverished, high-crime area in Brooklyn, N.Y. - never to return to Haiti.”

Samson recalls the challenges of those early days: learning English, being in new surroundings and school as a third-grader, being bullied by other children, and avoiding constant crime and danger.

The family soon moved to low-income housing in Coney Island, where the four boys shared a space while his mother and sister each had their own room.

“Coney Island was known as Crime Island. You had to learn to survive,” he said. “The projects were dirty and dangerous with constant shootings, stabbings, robberies and more. Our family, for a while on public assistance, was somewhat isolated by mom’s rule.

“I learned to run fast going up and down the stairwell as taking elevators made you an easy target for gangs. Mom cared deeply, making sure we learned English, got a solid education and stayed out of trouble.

“I was a frightened yet determined child, spoke broken English with a stutter, easy prey. My elder brother, Prosper (RIP), taught me how to defend myself. Sometimes, you had to fight back to earn respect - and I did.”

Samson reflects with pride about how his mother taught her children to respect themselves and others; to treat people how they wanted to be treated and with dignity; to be fair; to prepare for the unexpected; to gain a good education; and to work hard to get ahead in life.

Football All-Star

At James Madison High School, Samson achieved academic excellence and, though never having played football until his freshman year, became a team starter and All-Star as a senior.

He credits a skilled athlete who captained the football and baseball teams, Danny Shur, with teaching him the basics of the game and elevating his skills.

“Danny was so kind, bringing this young black kid into his circle and giving me skill and confidence. I would never have made it as an athlete, maybe not a more complete person, if not for Danny as well as my other teammates and coaches.

“Danny became a New York City firefighter and died a hero on 9/11 at the Trade Center. Chapter 5 of my book, ‘Leave No Doubt,’ is dedicated to him. Chapter 13, ‘The Danny Factor,’ addresses his ultimate sacrifice.”

Samson laments, too, the loss of many from the Fordham University community, including friend Michael Armstrong, who had worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial firm in the World Trade Center that lost more than 650 employees in the terrorist attacks.

Graduating with honors and athletic acclaim as football team captain and All-City player as a high school senior, Samson was recruited by several colleges.

With a Higher Education Opportunity Program scholastic grant in hand, he chose Fordham, where he excelled academically and was a four-year varsity football letterman.

He studied international political science and economics with a theology concentration, earning an interdisciplinary degree in 1990. He was the first in his family to graduate college.

Law enforcement career

Samson briefly worked as an executive recruiter and in back-office operations at the Bank of New York before becoming a detective investigator in the Bronx under District Attorney Robert Johnson.

This role along with training at the Rockland County Police Academy, where he and another Fordham alum, Aldo Nastasi, graduated top of the class, set his law enforcement career in motion.

“For many reasons, including my upbringing and having a cousin, Tido, killed by gang violence, I gravitated to law enforcement and found ways to excel,” Samson said.

“In the Bronx DA’s office, I was part of the Witness Warrant Squad and worked with all law enforcement agencies in New York and the nation. We served subpoenas and captured felons, investigated kidnappings and murders, protected witnesses, went undercover, and took guns and drugs off the street. You name it, we saw it, we did it. We served justice, saved lives.”

While part of a joint investigation into an attempted killing of a federal agent, Samson was recruited and ultimately joined the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Criminal Investigation Service (DCIS) in 1994.

Never having lived anywhere other than Haiti and New York City, he moved from the South Bronx to Chapel Hill, N.C., to work on national security investigations in conjunction with the FBI and other federal, state, local, domestic, and international law enforcement agencies and officials.

Samson attended the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, where he was recognized as a top performer.

In 1997, Congress amended the Inspector General Act to create the first Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Postal Service. The assistant special agent in charge of the DCIS Atlanta Field Office, Sylvia Owens, was selected as the deputy inspector general by newly appointed Inspector General Karla Corcoran to establish the investigative arm of the OIG.

Owens brought in Samson to help build the investigative infrastructure, including policies and procedures, for the agency.

That role brought him back to the greater New York area to lead the Northeast office, which he established in Hoboken. He is credited with the unit’s first criminal arrest.

In a letter, Owens wrote, “Allan ... was the first person I called upon to join me in standing up this new agency.” Also, “Allan has always been a true visionary and leader with integrity and dedication.”

Gladis Griffith, deputy general counsel of the OIG, wrote, “... in the aftermath of the life-changing events of September 11, 2001, Mr. Samson took immediate action to engage with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to help protect citizens.”

Samson is a recipient of the President Executive Council Efficiency Award and other accolades.

Homeland Security job

In 2002, he joined the new Department of Homeland Security, Federal Air Marshal Service as an assistant to the special agent in charge. He was among the first employees in the Newark Field Office, which he helped establish.

With the air marshals, Samson led a team of highly trained operators in counterterrorism operations throughout high-risk global regions to detect, deter and defeat terrorist threats on aircraft and ensure air travelers’ safety worldwide.

Chances are that if you traveled in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport, Samson or members of his team may have been seated next to you.

He retired from federal law enforcement in 2017. In 2019, he became vice president-head of global security at Xerox Holdings Corp., serving until this June.

Samson’s book explores his personal and professional life journey.

“Anyone can develop the ability to listen to what life is telling you; understand how one life can be shaped by many others and shape many more; learn how to show up as a leader in the toughest crises; and grow within yourself the confidence to answer life’s call when the time comes,” he writes.

He takes great pride in coming to the United States, gaining citizenship and protecting U.S. citizens, and having a strong family -from his mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles, siblings, wife and children, including daughter Emily, who was born in 2005.

Samson stays close to his former teammates, including some whose health was affected by the terrorist attacks. He has recovered from medical issues of his own related to his service.

“My book shows how anyone can listen, learn and grow continuously,” he said. “Do what is right, respect others, and live a life of success, purpose and happiness.”

With another 9/11 anniversary approaching, Samson hopes lessons learned from the terror attack are not lost as years go by.

“It was said ‘never forget,’ yet on some - especially those not impacted directly in some way and outside of the Northeast - 9/11 is no longer top of mind,” he said. “We need to prevent a recurrence of such an event. And as a nation, we also need to heal the divisiveness that exists today and return to a genuine spirit of unity.”