SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Sacramento Fire Chief Chris Costamagna shared his experiences from his deployment to New York City after the Sept. 11 attacks, describing the surreal and impactful nature of the mission.

"We were doing search and rescue. So we worked around that. There's definitely a smell that sticks with you. And for me, it was the pulverized concrete smell. If you smell, it's a thing that just doesn't go away," Costamagna said.

Costamagna, who was on vacation with his family, had to leave his two young daughters behind to join the rescue efforts.

"I went from Santa Cruz to Travis Air Force Base. And then we flew to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey on the 11th," he said.

Upon arrival in New York City on Sept. 12, Costamagna and his team immediately began working amidst aband

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