if you want to look at organizations that are helping families here in miami, you can go to cnn.com/impact for more information. that's it for me. want to hand over our coverage to chris, who is on scene here, with me, in miami. chris. anderson, appreciate it. thank you very much. of course, i am chris cuomo and welcome to "prime time." it's good to be with you, brother, as always. we are live in surfside, florida, tonight, continuing our coverage. look. these are people dealing with the agony of the unknown. this community has come together. but there is a lot of hurt here. and it doesn't stop, at the site. over my shoulder, what's happening there is unlike anything i have ever seen in this country, before. except for 9/11 and that was -- look, different circumstances precipitated that. the scale was very different. i just got the privilege of a walkthrough at the site. and i watched every aspect of

the operation that is happening. and there are a few things that are important to say, right off the top, now, about-48 hours in. the idea that there are not resources here is absurd. the idea that this is not work that's moving quickly is demonstrably false. this work, by its nature, is methodical. there are people who could be alive. and the faster that you move materials, the better a chance that you hurt or disrupt whatever is underneath it. they have two active fires going on in that site. the men and women are working on top of one of them. okay? you will see video and pictures of this. now, i wanted to start with this picture because of the significance and the eeriness of this. the last time i saw an image like that was 9/11 when our first responders were standing on the buildings. what had been the trade centers. and they were working through smoke that is so acrid, that is so choking, and they work

tirelessly because they wanted to find who was there and give answers to the families. and it's happening, once again, here in florida right now. those men and women are working on top of an active burner. okay? and that is dangerous. and they are trying to manage risk. they are standing on top of 12 layers of building. it's, all, been so compressed. and this is the most difficult type of a collection of challenges you can have in search and rescue. there is zero quit in anyone that i saw on that site. and it's really important that the families and community understand that. i know these guys, from task force two. we have seen their work in haiti where they pulled people out, after days. i have seen them work hurricanes. they were at 9/11. they know what they're doing. they are the best of the best, and they are so committed. and they know the task is giant. 159 missing. now, they look at it in two ways. you have unaccounted for, which are people who are known to have been in the building and they can't find. versus, people who are missing,

meaning, they don't know where they are. they're two different numbers. they are being combined in that 159. but all we need to know, for right now, is the number is big. and there is a need for miracles here. a prayer wall has jumped up, just like after 9/11. mis missing posters of people looking for loved ones. now, of course, that was terror and it was of an unimaginable scale. i lived it. i watched those families' pain. i understand it. it is happening on a micro level, in this community, and it is every bit as real for the families who are waiting for an unbelievably large number. this doesn't happen in america. buildings just don't collapse, under their own weight, inexplicably, in the middle of the night. and that happened here. and it's raising questions not just about the people who are desperate for answers for their loved ones in this tower. but all along this block, there are buildings that are of a similar-age point. 40-year recertification stage. does that mean anything for them? so i wanted to show you what we saw at this site. and as i see what's going on,

i'll explain to you what it was. first, the idea of two active burns. they are using that hose right now as steady pressure on a fire that is deep within. something's burning. could be smoldering. could be active. could be not. it's hard for them to know. they are still working on top of it. all right? and you have a blessing in florida, because of all the trouble that they have with natural disasters. you have these search-and-rescue forces, these task forces. they have a number of them. so they are rotating them in and out. this picker that you see with the alpha on it. this has been explained as, hey, is that the right way to look for bodies? they are not looking for bodies. the area has been cleared. this is after that. to move materials out of the way. potential opportunities to find new avenues of ingress. this is not how they are looking for loved ones. it's not accurate and it's not fair to the efforts and it's not fair to do to the families. so i wanted you to see that. i also want you to see a piece of footage of what the work actually looks like, in real-time, of where they are.

how they separate layers. they call it de-layering. so, you have all of these parts of the building on top of each other. what was 100-plus feet is now somewhere about 40 or 50. and when you move to this from the next piece of video, please, in the control room. you will see that they have to -- we will get it for you, at some point, during the show. you have to prop it up. they use blocks to hold it up. they send cameras in. they send dogs in. and they go step by step. that is the reality. this is the other fire. could it be a mattress? maybe. they don't know. they can't go in and it's very dangerous to get around it. they have a team of engineers and a team of experts trying to figure out how they can go in safely. the men and women want to go in. i watched the conversations. they -- these are the men and women who run into that scenario that scares us to want to stay away. but it has to be safe because, god forbid, we lose more people trying to find the people who are in there, already. now, that is the reality of the state of play. i just walked it.

and all i know is what i saw. and what i saw was what i would want to see, if i were waiting for answers about my own, loved ones on the inside. so now, let's get the detail on the granular from the chief of the city of miami fire rescue task force two, assisting with the operations, joe, chief z, we have been together before. it's good to see you, brother. >> thank you, chris. >> thank you, for taking the time. and, first, does anything i just said not meet with your understanding and expectations of what's happening onsite? >> you actually characterized it perfectly. >> so, the idea of why it is so hard. why it has to be methodical. what makes it that way? help us understand. >> well, we -- you have to understand that we are in the midst of a rescue mission. we are operating under miami-dade fire rescue who is in command. and their direction to us has been clearment w. we are in rescue mode and we have to treat everything we touch as such. so, you characterized it, again,

perfectly. when you said that it is methodical, it is technical, it is thoughtful. as we remove each piece of debris. because if there is the potential to save a life, we have to give that person every opportunity to survive. and we have to make the situation better, not worse. that's why you see such a technical, methodical process being undertaken. >> everyone i saw on the site that i spoke to about, where are you in your hope window? everyone answered, immediately, this is hard. they could be in there. why, that -- is that the kind of confidence you have to carry just to do the job? or is that experience saying the possible is in there? >> it's both. it's both. we carry hope, because that's what drives us. but we have experience that tells us it has happened, before. take haiti as an example. we were there for the earthquake, pancake collapse, similar to this type of collapse. we operated for about 72 hours in a pancake structure and we were able to successfully remove five people from the structure

largely unharmed. void spaces do exist so we have to hold out hope and do so with an ideaing that it is possible. >> so something else that was explained to me on the site. that air is getting into the site, through different corridors, wind, the storm bands. and that, that's what you think reignited this. this smoke is certainly more dense than we have seen since we came today. and it's much thicker onsite coming out of the side of the building. and then, a separate part of the pile that has steady pressure on it. how do you deal with a two-front battle against two active burns and working on top of it? >> it's extremely difficult. and -- and i have to say that miami-dade fire rescue has done an exceptional job of keeping this fire under control. to the point where we could continue to work, safely. now, you might look at it and see the fire has not been extinguished. we look at it as they have done an excellent job allowing us to continue to work. because if they weren't doing such a good job, we would be forced off the pile. and then, you know, nobody would have the opportunity for

survival. >> but this is all about compromise, right? because adding water to the pile does not help your efforts, because of the density of the mix and what that does for compression and shifting? help us understand that. >> they could have ten trucks here spraying water on this fire. and we wouldn't be able to work on this pile because it would be a complete slurry. so they are using just enough water to keep the fire under control, so that we can do our job. get in there and work. and -- and try to save as -- or access -- as many areas, as possible. and not hinder our operations. so, we're undergoing a process right now where we are going to expose a little bit more. maybe, get them a little closer to the seed of the fire so they can have even more effect but again, the goal is allowing us to continue to work. >> now, one of the things you figured out was how to search smart because, look. to look at it, you can't really differentiate between all-12 stories that are in there. you found another building, same architect or same layout. and you walked it to help you understand where to go and what did that tell you?

and what were you focusing on? >> well, when you look at the pile in the rear of the structure. the pancake collapse. we had to try to determine where the best place for penetration might be. so, yes, we did have diagrams. but in addition to that, there is a building, three-buildings down, that is virtually identical. so, yes, we walked the floor plan. we developed a plan and we began to penetrate. and thankfully, the first thing that we saw was a mattress. so, we know we're in the area that we want to be, which is bedrooms, which is what you -- where you would expect people to be, at 1:30 in the morning. >> 1:30 in the morning. 159 people. big number. we've never seen a building collapse like this, in this country. yes, oklahoma city. yes, 9/11. yes, you've had big fires. those were, all, things that were precipitated by a mass-violent event. this is different, and you dealt with it in haiti. but people look at the pile, and they say, well, it's not that big. it's volume. it's density, that is your concern. how so?

>> well, when you look at it, it's called a pancake collapse because it looks exactly like that. it looks like a stack of pancakes and the void spaces are so small, that they're an extreme challenge to get into. and to determine if people have the opportunity to survive. so, when you look at the volume of material, it takes a long time to penetrate that volume of material. and what we're doing is we are, essentially, cutting slabs. lifting them out. penetrating. searching. cutting another slab. lifting it out. penetrating. and we're going to do that, at each layer, until we have largely searched many of the void spaces that exist. and even in a pancake collapse, void spaces do exist. >> i was told by people, on the site, they don't think it will be like 9/11 where there was such a pulverizing of pressure that you won't find people. they believe they'll find people. they're hoping that they are alive. and that -- that's the question. is that, when you look at the realities here of what's happening, what gives you hope?

>> what gives me hope is, first, and foremost, the families. the families that are waiting for answers. and that's really what drives us. and mission after mission, time after time, location after location, we -- we see the grieving -- the grievance of the families -- the grief on their face. and, you know, it's -- it's really what drives every one of the men and women out here that are doing this job. we want to bring -- we -- we -- we want to allow them to understand, exactly, how this happened. why it happened. and ultimately, re -- reunite them with their loved one. >> has there been as much signal indication as there was early on? have you guys been hearing banging? hearing anything? >> no. we -- we haven't been hearing many sounds. a lot of that occurs in the first -- you know, the first-few hours of the mission. so, miami-dade fire rescue, as they came in and worked feverishly to get the most amount of people out or access

the most amount of people, in the shortest amount of time they possibly could. that's typically when you -- when you hear that. we haven't experienced that today. but it doesn't mean that -- that we lose hope. it means that we continue to drive forward. >> i understand what motivates the head and keeps the hands going. how about the heart? how do you deal with the emotional toll of knowing what you're doing on this pile? knowing how singular an event it is, and how important it is to this community and, really, all eyes of the country? >> it -- it's -- it's incredibly difficult for the men and women who do this work. but again, they find solace in the fact that they know that they are doing it for the families that are waiting for answers to find out what has happened to their loved ones. and that's what drives them, and that's what continues to drive them, mission after mission after mission. >> well, all i know is, being out here and seeing the community come. their faith is largely motivated by the commitment that they know is going on, on that site. that you guys are acting, as if you were looking for your own family. and it makes all the difference, to them, in the community. and i just hope you're safe. as i say every time, i see you

onsite, there is the best of us. and there are the rest of us watching you do your work and thank you for the opportunity to talk to us tonight and for doing the job for these families. appreciate you. >> thank you. >> this is the chief of task force two. florida. very lucky to have multiple task force. they are on that pile right now doing the work that will hopefully make the difference to these families. now, i want to bring in someone else who knows exactly what this chief is doing, because he used to work with them. and the understanding of what the challenges are and how they have to be looked at, within the specific windows. because i know that's the curiosity. but when? but when? but when? there is a way to look a at it, and i have somebody who's lived this reality. and we will get the best perspective we can in this moment, right after this. your cloud... it isn't just a cloud. it's everything flowing through it. and it's more distributed than ever. one company takes you inside.

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all right. let's start with an unavoidable fact that is a huge problem and frustration in this situation. buildings do not just fall down, on their own. not in this country. okay? building standards are real. inspections are real. materials are real. we have never seen anything, like this. and yes, you can liken it to other things. bridges. this is a building. it is a different set of -- it's a different set of variables. okay? and we don't see it and that's why the answer is so important. now, 9/11 is the last time that we saw building collapse under its own weight. and, of course, it was terrorism and it was of a very different scale. but when you lived it, you see and smell similarities in the dynamics, the challenges, and the humanity. that must be noticed right now. joe hernandez has been all over the world working to save lives from exactly those types of tragedies. he is a chief, he understands search and rescue as well as anyone and teaches it now.

joe, thank you very much. >> thank you for having me. >> i have been with the task force. we were both at 9/11. we both saw what was happening in haiti. days in, they rescued them. and the 9/11 thing sparks comparisons, not to work on people's hearts but to put context in their heads about what this is. how so? >> exactly, what's going on. you just slowed everybody down. everybody's wondering, guessing, what's going on? why aren't they in a hurry to get people out of there? why are they taking so long? why are the fires not out? and you just took your time to educate the public on, exactly, what is going on. and what's happening with those rescuers inside that pile. it takes time. it's methodical. it moves slow. at times, fire is under control. at some times, it's not. >> so, it definitely has picked up. we have video of this two-front fire that they are dealing with. okay. one is billowing out of the window and you can see a little bit over our shoulder here but it's haze. it's nighttime.

and when i was able to walk the site which, again, was a great gift for the audience to understand it in real-time. this is what it looks like from their perspective. okay? that is not just put an extinguisher on it, it's just a mattress. and what does that do in terms of just choking off opportunity? >> you know, we were -- feared that -- 9/11 we feared that with the rescuers that were underneath trying to save victims in the building. firefighters, themselves. how long could they live in that? go back even to the pentagon. we know a lot of our brothers that actually had to go in and out of that building while the fires were still active. actually, absorbing a lot of that carbon monoxide. >> carbon monoxide is always a problem with fire. count know what is burning, though. household chemicals, what's in vehicles, what is in building equipment. >> all of it. all cancer-causing materials, absolutely. >> and obviously, very noxious to the people who are inside. >> 100%. >> and then, you have another front of a fire on the back side that i was able to take video of

for the audience. that they have a steady-stream hose on. and then, the men and women are working on top of that fire. >> yes. >> and obviously, common sense told me you don't want to work on top of a fire. they say that's the balance. how so? >> they are trying to risk themselves, life over limb. it's one of the terms. right now, they are trying to rescue people under there. they are willing to put themselves in harms way, to the point of going to the edge of the bridge. going to the edge of the dock and saying i am here, i am going to stay here and help as much as i can until somebody forces me off or the -- or the consequences of what's going on force me off. >> so what was explained to me on the site is -- because there is a lot of people there. >> absolutely. >> there is a tremendous just number of bodies ready to work. they said you can't have 'em on the pile. pile's not stable. so, they showed me the de-layering that they are doing. this is that steady-state fire. you see the men and women on top. they do it in quadrants. it's a, b, c, and d. they did it as a square. on the other side of the squadron, there.

i shot it wide just so we could see those things. you have the guys on top, who are listening and checking with a probe. >> yes. >> and then, in the middle, they have de-layered, as you guys call it. and they've blocked it up with wooden blocks and then they send in a sensor or a camera and then a dog. >> correct. >> and they said that they'd been doing that, spot by spot. this is the process. >> absolutely. so, there is just a few of them on top. they're using a delsar system, which is a listening device. and actually, they can pick up sound, scratches, back-and-forth movement. so they're trying to pick up that location. the rescuers were able to pick up that side of the pile. what you said with the wood, being able to secure that area. and then, send the canines in. if a canine gives a hit or a live hit on possibly a person being inside there, they will always confirm it the second time. and that will be putting in a camera, search camera, and being able to communicate with that person, and/or visualize that person.

cameras have a 360 eye and they have a real far extension so they are able to see pretty far in that pile. >> now, with the capabilities of this task force not just because he worked on it but he just recently was teaching the guys on the medical suppression and having those onsite skills. he, literally, was just working with those guys, who are now putting those skills to work. is there a miracle scenario, where you use the saw. you remove a bigger block of this. >> uh-huh. >> and have a superevent of access where you can find a lot of people at once? >> absolutely. you hit that void pocket. maybe, one, big, long piece of concrete from that piling, an i-beam, fell in a certain area and created what we used to call that pancake went to a lean to now or a v. so underneath the pancake could be a couple voids. even a refrigerator could even hold up a piece of concrete. >> and then, this last picture i wanted to show. you lived 9/11. you served there. you know their level of commitment. i don't think we've seen it, since then.

of course, we have the fire jumpers and guys going out and dealing with natural disasters all over. you guys are often at them. but this picture that i'd like to go back to. this is the side of the building, obviously. there is a lot of that is called widowmaker material, where it could fall on them. they have to remove it. but if you can go back to that silhouette picture. it hit so many of the people there, who were at 9/11. what does this mean, to you, to see this effort in this circumstance? >> it probably gives them a reflection, back, to that time for that period of moment as the sun was setting. as it did for you, caught your attention, it sure caught mine when you showed that to me. it was the reflection of the leftover of tower 1. skeleton, not a lot left of tower one. we are on the east side of that tower walking into that pile every day. so even one of the pictures i took has that same reflection. and, you know, a moment in time. gives you -- goes back to that. and i think they might reflect that. but the pouring out of the people, the pouring out of the responders, the pouring out from everyone seems to be pretty close to what we saw back 9/11,

2001. >> that's what i want people to understand is the men and women there. they are all in. they are as engaged and as committed as i have ever seen and this is hard work and it's slow work. but i appreciate your perspective, chief. thank you very much. i appreciate it. >> thank you. z >> and i just think, look, it's hard. this community is hurting. they are holding on to each other. they are praying for answers limit rally, i saw members of several different denominations here in their own, prayer groups. they are offering each other shelter. you can go to cnn.com/impact to figure out how to help. there is so many people who have been displaced. not just the 159 or so that we're still searching for. but all the people that were evacuated. all the families. the people who are lucky enough to get out. we have to talk about them, as well. there were a few dozen that managed to escape the building in the immediate aftermath. we have a couple of the survivors to talk about what it was like and what it means to them, to be living in this moment of unknown right now.

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comcast business powering possibilities. all right. so we are here in florida. we are watching the rescue efforts that are ongoing now. we've never seen anything like this. and that happens in a lot of different layers. the survivors are a group of people, who have lived through something that is unimaginable. and i have two people with me, who got out. they didn't even know it was their building when they heard what was going on, until they opened their door. okay? and they got out, along with their 22-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter, thank god. and i want you to meet, now, albert and jeanette aguirro. it is very, very good to have had you made it out. um, let's just do this the way

it happened. 1:30 in the morning, what do you hear? >> we were asleep. and we hear this loud, thunderous sound. don't know what it is. my initial gut was a loud clap the thunder. the power went out. i thought the building got struck by lightning. that's honestly what happened -- or i mean, i thought what happened. she jucmps out of bed. checks on the kids. kids are fine, what is going on? but then, she realizes the chandeliers and lights in the apartment are all swinging back and forth. so we know it's something more than just a storm. we have lived through hurricane sandy. it wasn't that. now, we don't know what it is. i see the fire trucks approaching. they were great. they got here immediately. we -- we now don't know what it is. i see a gray cloud out -- outside of the apartment building. i think it's smoke because i still think it's lightning. when i open to go yell to the

fire department. i realize it's not smoke. there is no smell to it and it's sticking to my fingers. so it's the concrete dust. and now, i know that a building fell down. still, don't think it's ours because we're intact. >> your unit, just so you know, if -- if we go wide for a second, jerry -- is right over here, right? it's just out of -- >> balcony. i don't -- second to top floor. >> so literally, the t. they're on this part of the t and the other part is what had collapsed. now, jeanette, when you opened the door and get out there, when did you realize? >> fortunately, for me, i wasn't the first one to open the door. they came out, first. and -- and i think, since we had no idea what was going on at the moment. and we were still contemplating whether we were leaving. you know, we really, at that moment, thought should we go back to bed? and, you know, is it just -- >> are we safer in the apartment? >> -- are we safer in the apartment? and i hear them say, oh, maybe, we should have thought about leaving a lot faster. maybe, we're not so safe. and they had taken a look to the

left. i still hadn't reached. when i get there, and i see what they're looking at. it's -- the whole building is sheared off. we can literally see the roof caved in and just darkness. >> how did you get down? >> well, we obviously knew any way we were going to go down the stairs because the power was out. so we're looking for the stairs. we are on vacation. we're not really familiar with the building, as is. so that's why i think we initially looked left, hoping the exit was there. realized, okay, we really need to get out. then, we looked to our right. the elevator was gone. and the stairs are right next to it. but then, he opens the door. and we realized that the stairs are, also, compromised. and -- >> the wall -- >> the wall was missing. >> so everything that was attached to the side on the elevators is gone. some floors have the wall. some floors don't. so now, we're -- it's just a mad dash to get down. >> how many floors? >> 11. >> we were on the 11th floor. >> it's a 12-story building so you were on the second-to-last

floor. >> penthouse is above. >> how long did it take you to get down? >> i know it was pitch dark. we were just yelling back to our kids, are you all still there? i had to lead and she was in the back. it was, are you guys still there? are we all okay? >> what are you thinking as you're coming down? >> i'm thinking we are racing against the clock because the rest of the building's going to come down. i realized that when i open the door. and then, what i am thinking is if i start to feel something come down, how do i jump on my daughter to save her? like, that -- that's, honestly, what i was thinking. i know she is getting banged from people that couldn't open the door to the stairwell because it was jammed or whatever so she was opening the door for a couple people coming down. >> so there were other people coming down, also. >> when we reached about the third floor, we encountered an elderly lady, who needed help. so my son and i brought her down to the first floor. and then, when we got to the first floor, it was starting to flood. we were up to about our calf with water. wasn't anything deep but you

definitely could tell that it had collapsed, at that point. and now, we had to climb up about-3 feet of rubble with this elderly lady, plus, you know, my family and make sure we got out. >> kids weren't hurt, right? i saw them before. >> everybody's good. everybody is healthy. minor scratches. it's unbelievably after all of this. >> when you realized, once you were out, what it was you had escaped. how did you make sense of it? >> i say just grateful my son was there to hold me up because, the minute i looked behind me to really get a grasp of what had happened. and what we had just gotten out of. it was pretty -- it -- it was surreal. it was -- it was scary. it was terrifying. um, there was a mix of emotions. i was sad for -- i saw the flattened building. and i -- i was like that could have been us. my kids are here. i couldn't make sense of any of it. i -- i felt like, why? why? why, do we get out and how did we get out? >> we were talking before. it's not our job to explain what

life brings our way. it's just our job to deal with it. and thank god, you got the kids and you got out because you know how many people don't have that story. in terms of any kind of insight, was there construction going on? was there anything that, you know, you thought about afterwards? repairs? >> so, they had been doing construction. so we came down for valentine's day. it's my birthday on valentine's day. we came down in february. and there had been a lot of drilling and sounds from up from the roof. >> above. >> from above. >> we thought it was the penthouse doing work. >> right. later on, we found it was the building. but now, when we came again, you know, it's june and that work's still going on. so, it's either a very large project or something's going on. so we thought that was one. talking to some of the other residents, they said that the building -- when they built the building next door, they created a lot of, like, swaying in our building. >> there is a new building adjacent to the building. >> that was never there. >> they are going to have to figure that out. >> i heard your segment earlier.

and one of the things that, i guess, angers me or frustrates me is we shouldn't have to go to bed worried if our building's going to fall, right? that's not what happens in this country. and that -- that scares us. we live in a high rise, back in new jersey. she's afraid. she's, you know, afraid right now. she works in the city. she's afraid. >> right. >> that those are things we have to take into account, now. how are we going to manage this? >> look. you got -- you got context, also. >> absolutely. >> this is the only one that we've ever seen. we have to find out why. i'm sure there's going to be an urgency on that because there are going to be so many families that don't have your story. and they're going to want to know an answer, for why, if they're lucky, they will be able to bury loved ones who didn't make it out. and just take it one day at a time and thank god i got to meet you guys and your kids are okay. and thank you. i know this is not a conversation that is easy to have after what you lived through. but thank god, you did. all right? and the best to both of you and your families. you got beautiful kids. >> thank you so much for being

here. >> thank you. thank you for being here because it gives people hope. and i know this has been hard. i know it's going to keep hitting you. but you got each other, and there is a gift in that now that i'm sure will be valued a little bit differently, after this. all right? >> absolutely. >> all right. let's take a break right now. when we come back, this is the aguero family. they are one of the few stories we have had that comes out of this on the good side. and we have a long way to go. we're not going to know the cause, soon. victims' families. they must get answers. this does not happen, in america. so, let's bring in an attorney for the condo association. what did they know? 40-year inspection, recertification, what were the issues? what were the concerns? what does the attorney make of the speculation and the questions that are out there? there was a lawsuit filed yesterday. we'll ask the questions. we'll get the answers, next. s? salonpas contains the most prescribed topical pain relief ingredient. it's clinically proven, reduces inflammation and comes in original prescription strength.

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all right. so we know the priorities. search and rescue. then, recovery. and, of course, the question of responsibility. why this happened is going to have to be a major concern. what do we know? this building was not known for

being in disrepair. there is no kind of reporting on that that is substantive. it was 40 years old. it was going through a recertification process, but what does that mean? there were repairs going on, as you just heard the last guests say. they were going on, on the roof. what did that mean? let's bring in a lawyer for the condo association to discuss the issues here. her name is donna dimaggio burger. counselor, thank you for taking the opportunity. >> thanks for having me, chris. >> i know it is early. and that there are a lot of families still waiting for answers about where their loved ones are. you met with the board today. >> i did. >> was anything known about what was being done to the building that, in any way, gave a reasonable concern that this type of event was possible? >> no, nothing. so, what the board knew, chris, was what was outlined in that certification report. and they were entirely dependent on the items that the engineer would outline in that report. typical things that -- that an engineer looks for in a certification report in miami-dade and broward county, which are the two counties that require this kind of

certification. is a review of the roof, hvac system, electrical, plumbing. but certainly, if there was nothing hazardous outline understand that report. anything that would have proven to be a danger to -- to life. and the engineer outlined what the priorities were. and the priority was the roof replacement, which was underway. >> now, i understand the logic that, if the board knew that there was something this serious, why would they have stayed in there? i accept that point. but when we hear about the work on the roof and that it was going on for a long time. this talk about spalling. do either of those things resonate, in terms of issues that were going on with the building, that were more significant than a 40-year certification? >> no, absolutely not. so a lot of these buildings, chris, that are built on the barrier island in coastal areas. particularly, in this age group that have reached or are near their 40 birthday, you are going to need roof replacement. these are not odd occurrences

when it comes to building maintenance. so once again, yes, there was an ongoing-roof replacement program. it takes time. right now, we also have a contractor crunch in florida. because we have got a lot of buildings right now that are, also, rushing to install safety systems and sprinklers. we have a deadline so we do have a contractor crunch of sorts. >> be that as it may, what were the repairs? what was the nature of what was going on in that building before the collapse? >> so right now, it was roof replacement which was under way and the board had passed a special assessment. and then, there were bids. so in florida, under florida law, boards have to get competitive bids for certain contracts that are above a -- a certain price. >> for the roof. >> for everything. so if they are going to do concrete repairs, they need to get -- they need to get competitive bids. those bids were still out and had not, yet, come back. >> so what about that is a significant issue? is that around the foundation? is that something that needs to be looked at? >> no, it's concrete work,

typically, chris, that's spalling. >> so, spalling is where rebar, which are the bars inside of cement, attach to moisture and rust and it creates outward pressure that will crack the outer layers of concrete. create a structural issue or not. >> yeah. let me give you an example of that. typically, with a -- with a building like this, you have got balconies and people over the years have put things on those balconies whether it's artificial turf or hard flooring. that tends to trap moisture that deteriorates the concrete surface underneath. once that surface gets degraded, it can affect the rebar underneath. i have had some buildings where the -- the balconies have collapsed, either partially or fully, where we have to lock people in where they cannot get out on the balcony because it's not safe. but that doesn't bring a building down. >> understood. this research that was done that showed, in the '90s, a measurement of approximately-2 millimeters a year and that this was the only one on the east side of the island that they had seen that happen with. not on the island -- on the east

side where they had seen that kind of movement or what they call subsiding as opposed to sinking because sinking is going under water. this was going back into the sand base. was that something the board was aware of? and is it significant to you? >> i think it's significant. >> the board wasn't aware of it and my question to the professor or team who undertook that research is who did they tell? i mean, this is a state university. did they -- did they inform the city? did they inform the county? did they inform the state? and that is significant and i think it's something we want to dig into. >> but as far as you knew, there was no reason for people not to be living in that building? >> not only -- no, there was no reason for that. and -- and, chris, you have to understand that there are board members with their family members. we have a missing vice president who had two of her adult children living in other units with their families. and i think that's an indicator that this was the type of community people like to live in. normally, when you're happy

where you are living, you recommend to family and friends, hey, this is a great place to live and we had that. so we have board members who are living here. had their families living here. >> and are among the missing? >> and are among the missing so if they knew there was a hazardous issue, they certainly would have taken care of it. also, this building has passed every life-safety inspection to date. >> well, look. the big question is, why? and obviously, something happened and as it gets discovered, we will keep covering it. counselor, thank you for taking the opportunity and i am sorry for anyone you know that is unaccounted for. i appreciate you taking the time. >> thank you so much, chris. >> look. we have the -- the authorities are coming around now. they want people to mask up because the acrid nature of this smoke. the timing of that. you know, look, things happen, when they happen. again, this is a painful time. and everything is happening, at once. and people are waiting for word on loved ones. we're going to talk to people, who have had that experience. and they have multiple family

members missing. including a 1-year-old niece. that is part of the reality, here, in surfside, florida. and we will talk to them, next. ♪ ♪ tonight...i'll be eating cheesy cauliflower pizza with extra broccolini. my tuuuurrrrn! tonight...i'll be eating cheesy cauliflower pizza and yummy broccolini! (doorbell rings) thanks. (doorbell rings) thank you. ♪ ♪ . . . is that my leotard? no. yes... ehh, you can keep it. one, two! one, two, three! only pay for what you need! with customized car insurance from liberty mutual! nothing rhymes with liberty mutual. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ (upbeat pop music in background throughout)

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the hardest stories who are families coming up to us here reaching out because they don't know where their loved ones are. rochelle's niece, serena patel, is join us now. i am sorry you are in this situation. i am grateful to be able to tell the story of who you are waiting on word about. tell us who you know the last time you contacted family? >> we have not received much updates yet? we have families flown into the unification center waiting for some type of news. my uncle, his mom participated and giving the dna sample as we wait to see people be recovered

and rescue from the rubble and the last time i spoke to them was on sunday for father's day. i actually called them to tell them i had just booked a flight to come visit because they been asking me to see their home and meet their daughter, i have not met her due to the pandemic. >> you know for a fact that they were home at the time this happened? >> yes, they were home and we tried calling them countless of times and there is been no answers, text messages or nothing. we have a very large eck xtende family and they stayed in touch with someone and they have not contacted anybody. we called multiple hospitals within that area and there is no site of them anywhere. >> and you have not been told by any of the authorities that

anyone has been recovered matches their description, you have not gotten any word they have been found thus far? >> no. we have not. this had to be a special time for your family to have a new niece and having a baby in the family often does that. how is the family coping with not knowing where they are and the worries of the worse? >> the family we go through waves of disbelieves and hope. you hear and you see tragic things but you don't expect it to happen to your own especially something like this. it was a freak thing that happened and has not been explained yet. we are still hopeful and we are praying for a miracle. we are hoping they are in some type of a pocket some where within the rubble seeking and waiting for someone to come find them. >> well, all i can tell you is i

just got to walk the site, the men and women who are there are committed to searching as lopg as they can and doing everything they can to find anybody who's in there hopefully alive. everybody is praying for miracles and miracles can happen and hopefully they do here. i am sorry for your family to be going through this sarina. >> thank you. on behalf of my family we wanted to say thank you -- we want to say thank you to the first responders and the crew that's out there is, the search and rescue crew working tirelessly to find all the victims. we want to say thank you and we really appreciate everything you are doing for us. >> they're doing the job that i can sure you. i hope you get word that changes

how you are feeling now. sarina, be well and send your best regards to your family. we'll be right back. no, he's not in his room. ♪ dad, why didn't you answer your phone? your mother loved this park.

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