GUEST says: "...the creating of a hierarchy of heroes... seems to be what is happening to a certain extent."

Absolutely. It's not just in the songwriting, either. The wearing of NYFD logos on hats and clothing by the public has reached the status of a fashion statement: clothing designers are coming out with NYFD lines. I can't imagine how it must affect the NYC police officers when they see this, particularly when the mayor of the city wears his NYFD hat for photo ops. I have to think that all this is contributing to the bad feeling between the two departments right now.

McGrath asks why the firefighters weren't brought in on the decisionmaking about the number of NYFD personnel on site at Ground Zero. I don't know; perhaps legally they didn't have to be. If that's the case, it certainly would've been more sensitive to include the NYFD, and it would've been better P.R. As it is, the police are now being seen by the public as the bad guys (so what else is new? Police officers have always had a thankless job) instead of getting the glory, and sympathy, that they deserve for their heroic acts alongside the firefighters.

(BTW, I have no relatives who are either firefighters or cops. My niece is an EMT, though!)