Together, we remember: 25 years later

Reflections of service, resilience and unity from Phillips 66’s Bayway Refinery

Twenty‑five years after Sept. 11, 2001, the memories are still vivid for millions of Americans. At Phillips 66’s Bayway Refinery in Linden, New Jersey, just 13 miles from Manhattan, the events of 9/11 shaped employees’ lives, strengthened community bonds and deepened the refinery’s commitment to safety and emergency preparedness.

As the nation marks the 25th anniversary, two longtime Bayway employees — Public Affairs Advisor Lisa Barra and Mechanical Electrician and Emergency Response Team Member Kurt Manz — share their 9/11 experiences and the lasting lessons that continue to guide who they are today.

A morning that changed everything

Kurt was working at Bayway’s control center when the planes hit. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw smoke rising from the Manhattan skyline. As a seven-year veteran of Bayway’s rescue squad and a newly certified EMT, he immediately felt compelled to act.

“Right then and there, we knew we had to do something,” he said.

Within hours, he joined a Phillips 66 emergency response crew heading into New York City to support efforts at ground zero.

“The look on people’s faces, the fear, the sounds, the smell — I can remember it as if it were yesterday,” Kurt recalled. “You couldn’t imagine how many people were there just wanting to help.”

Lisa’s experience unfolded on her commute from her home in Brooklyn to the refinery. She was sitting in traffic on the Verrazzano Bridge when the second plane struck the South Tower.

“The uncertainty was overwhelming. I was trapped in my car, alone, watching something you could never imagine in your worst nightmare,” Lisa said.

When the towers collapsed, she sat in her car in tears, thinking of the people inside, her loved ones nearby and the city she called home.

Humanity in the aftermath

Both Lisa and Kurt remember the devastation, but also the extraordinary unity that emerged in the hours and days that followed.

“Strangers helped one another. Communities came together. Everybody was one… While evil had shown its face on Sept. 11, kindness and strength showed themselves on Sept. 12.”

LISA BARRA

Kurt saw that same spirit at ground zero, where volunteers and responders worked side by side.

“Being part of the emergency response organization at Phillips 66 is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” he said.

A legacy that guides our mission

The lessons of 9/11 continue to shape how Phillips 66 approaches safety, preparedness and community response. At Bayway and across the company, emergency response teams train rigorously to protect people, support communities and uphold the company’s mission to provide energy and improve lives.

Watch Lisa and Kurt’s full conversation below.