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Special Report: Reflections on ‘Never Forget’ after 25 years

Firsthand perspectives show how 9/11 continues to shape the fire service — and why these stories still matter

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Download your copy of this special report, sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T, below.

As the distance from Sept. 11, 2001, grows, so does the responsibility to preserve its stories. Many firefighters entering the service today know the images, the numbers and the history, but they did not experience the uncertainty, grief and resolve that defined that day and its aftermath. For those who were there, sharing their experiences helps a new generation understand the scale of the response and recognize those whose actions may otherwise fade from view.

This special report brings together firsthand perspectives on what happened that day, how its impact continues to shape the fire service and why preserving these stories still matters 25 years later.

  • The enduring meaning of Never Forget by Fire Chief Jason Caughey
  • The unseen lifeline: Honoring FDNY dispatchers — an interview with FDNY Assistant Fire Commissioner (ret.) Steven Gregory
  • How the WTC Health Program continues to support 9/11 responders — an interview with Program Director Lisa Delaney
  • ‘This has never been about us': Preserving the Flight 93 story — an interview with Shanksville Fire Chief (ret.) Terry Shaffer

As Chief Caughey reminds us in his reflections, “Never Forget” means listening, documenting, teaching and continuing to support those whose lives were forever changed.


 
More from our September 11 25-year remembrance
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At least 40 states address 9/11 through education standards, laws or school observances, but what students learn about the attacks and their aftermath varies widely
Northwell Health says more than 57,000 WTC Health Program members have battled cancer, with diagnoses expected to increase as responders and survivors age
A quarter century after the Sept. 11 attacks, Americans remember and understand 9/11 differently based on age, personal experience and the events that followed