On September 11, 2001, terrorists used hijacked airplanes as weapons to attack the United States. Two planes hit the World Trade Center towers in New York City. One plane flew into the side of the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers stormed the cockpit. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attack.
Thousands of first responders answered the call that day to search for survivors amid the rubble, smoke and debris, with 343 firefighters ultimately perishing in the collapse of the Twin Towers and countless more succumbing to 9/11-related illnesses from working at Ground Zero.
Use this resource page to learn about developments in healthcare protections for 9/11 first responders, read the experiences of those who were there and reflect on those who left a legacy behind.
To share your 9/11 story, please email editor@firerescue1.com.
Participants climb or walk the equivalent of 110 stories to honor the 343 FDNY firefighters killed on September 11, 2001
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted it was a mistake to cut staff from the World Trade Center Health Program but stopped short of promising to fully restore staffing
Nearly all of the 16 federal workers cut from the 9/11 health program have been rehired after intense criticism forced the Trump administration to reverse course on controversial cuts
Patrick Gordiski recently retired from the Greenwich Fire Department
Federal lawmakers are calling the move to fire 16 staff members a betrayal of those who risked their lives in the aftermath of 9/11
Dr. John Howard has yet to be reinstated as head of the WTC Health Program, as many staff remain without jobs—“a shell game,” says FDNY Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Prezant
The Health and Human Services Department has decided not to terminate Dr. John Howard amid plans to lay off two-thirds of NIOSH staff, preserving leadership of the World Trade Center Health Program
Republicans and Democrats sounded the alarm over Kennedy’s plan to gut NIOSH, warning it could cripple the 9/11 health program that thousands of first responders and survivors rely on
Thousands of first responders and survivors rely on the WTC Health Program to get treatment related to injuries and illnesses caused by the toxins at Ground Zero
David Childs’ design of the 1,776-foot-tall skyscraper, once known as the Freedom Tower, is the centerpiece of the redevelopment of Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks
The fund supports 137,000 people affected by toxic exposure from the attacks at the World Trade Center, as well as the plane crashes in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon
For all the men and women who were killed during the 9/11 attacks, there were countless lives saved by the bravery of others
Funding for the WTC Health Program is secured through 2027, but a federal resolution passed in December 2024 left its long-term financial future uncertain
Senators Schumer and Gillibrand stated the program serves at least 132,000 Americans impacted by the deadly terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001
The Uniformed Firefighters Association stated that the two members had served at Ground Zero
City attorneys are trying to have a FOIA case dismissed as survivors and victims’ families demand that air quality studies be released
The decision reinstates plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two others involved in the Sept. 11 terror attacks, sparing them the death penalty
Funding for the World Trade Center Health Program through 2040 was eliminated in the stopgap bill to fund the federal government
The agreement, previously nullified by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, would spare Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants the risk of the death penalty
Seeing the brave first responders on Sept. 11, 2001, showed me what I wanted to be when I grew up
Among the recipients of the mortgage payouts are the families of NYC DOC Capt. Gennaro “Jerry” Cariello, CO Jonathan Latta, and FDNY Firefighter Robert Welsh III
Three of the FDNY’s leading responders on Sept. 11, 2001, reflect on how 9/11 impacted EMS and beyond
Firefighter Thomas Gambino marks 20 years with the FDNY this year, carrying on the legacy of his father
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has set a goal to expand the number of states participating to 50 by 2025
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are both expected to attend 9/11 observances in New York and Pennsylvania
Multiple mayoral administrations, including Eric Adams’, have withheld the documents, fearing their release could trigger a wave of lawsuits from first responders
The FDNY Fire Officers Association warns the WTC Health Program may stop accepting members by 2028
Climbing to honor FDNY Chief Ray Downey and the 343
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