On Sept. 11, 2001, Arlington County firefighter Lt. Justin Scott, 30, was among the first to arrive at the Pentagon to battle the flames after an American Airlines airplane crashed into the building. At the time he was just a rookie in his fourth month on the force, and since then he’s risen through the ranks. Today, he trains cadets at the county’s academy.

A plane had just crashed into the Pentagon and it was in flames, you arrived soon after?

My crew was the first to pull a hose into the building that day. We had to approach it like you would any fire. It was a unique experience, to be a rookie and have that as the first big fire of your career. It leaves you wondering what else can happen. Anything out there can happen and I am living out that mystery.