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.
From coast to coast, these September 11 memorials stand as solemn reminders of the courage, sacrifice and enduring spirit that emerged in the wake of tragedy
Shanksville Chief Terry Shaffer reflects on how his family is inextricably linked to the tragedy – and how they continue to honor the victims and the community
Years of preplanning aided the incident command of an MCI, building fire, technical rescue, hazmat, and terrorism crime scene all in one
The legislation gives victims’ families the right to sue in U.S. court for any role that elements of the Saudi government may have played in the 2001 attacks
Ssiller, a 7-year-old lab, was named after Stephen Siller, who died during the 9/11 rescue efforts
The firefighter was dressed in his gear to honor first responders killed during 9/11
About a dozen of 343 flags were burned or damaged
The photo of the firefighter using the stair climb machine at a gym was shared over 60,000 times
Firefighters shared how witnessing 9/11 at a young age inspired them to become first responders
September 11 exposed the primitiveness of our communication systems, here’s a look at what it was like at Ground Zero and what’s being done
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the law Sunday, extending the deadline to Sept. 11, 2018
Cardinal: “When we needed them most they showed us the best, the best in humanity”
Obama has threatened to veto the bill over potential backlash from the U.S. ally
Over 5,400 cases of cancer have been linked to the chemicals and dust at Ground Zero
Retired firefighter Lt. Joe Torillo was buried twice during the 9/11 attacks
The flag was turned in two years ago by an as-yet-unidentified man at a firehouse after being reported missing for nearly a decade
FirstNet was set up to alleviate responder communication problems revealed by 9/11; here’s a look at where that program is 15 years on
Much has changed in the fire service as a result of 9/11, here’s a look at what we learned and failed to act on, and those things we simply didn’t learn
Much has changed in the fire service as a result of 9/11, here’s a look at what we learned and failed to act on, and those things we simply didn’t learn
When we say, “Never forget,” we need to remember, and live the too-soon-forgotten aftereffects of the Sept. 11 attacks
Call it irony, call it life’s randomness, call it what you like, but my personal 9/11 road is a strange and winding one
Chief: “It’s a time for us to not only remember the lives lost that day but to also honor the courage and strength that was displayed by everyday heroes”
Experts said it sounds an alarm about the long-lasting impact of PTSD and depression on the brain
The play tells the story of a FDNY captain struggling with writing an unprecedented number of eulogies for eight of his firefighters who died on 9/11
Pieces of rebar and channel iron from the World Trade Center are on display inside a case next to a firefighter statue outside the station
In one video clip, a young woman washes her fire chief father’s shirt — soiled from three days spent working in the smoking World Trade Center rubble.
The government quietly declassified a little-known report listing more than three dozen people of interest in possible Saudi connections to the hijackers
Thousands of firefighters saluted a flag-draped casket passed carrying two tiny vials of blood, the only known remains of a comrade who died in the Sept. 11 attacks
Battalion Chief Lawrence Stack’s remains were never found, but his family discovered two vials of blood he had donated during a bone marrow drive for a child with cancer.
Over two dozen first responders saluted the canine as she made her final visit to the veterinarian’s
Over 10,000 letters have been sent out in order to be qualified for World Trade Center disabilities
U.S. citizens would be able to sue foreign governments linked to terrorist attacks on U.S. soil; Obama says he’ll veto it if it clears the House
The two graduates were inspired by their fathers; one was killed during 9/11 and another in an explosion 15 years ago
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