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.
The White House confirms early talks on turning the 9/11 Memorial & Museum into a federally run national monument, drawing pushback from state leaders and the site’s nonprofit operator
FDNY Ceremonial Unit leader Lt. Joseph LaPointe, who has guided hundreds of funerals and every Ground Zero anniversary since 2001, is stepping down after 35 years of service
More than 500 people scaled 2,200 steps at Truist Park’s Patriot Day Stair Climb, to honor fallen firefighters and raise money for Georgia firefighters and their families
The Firefighter-EMT Michael J. Field Memorial Bridge on Long Island was dedicated in a ceremony on Saturday
Frank Siller, brother of Firefighter Stephen Siller, who died on 9/11, walked through Battery Tunnel with MTA and Port Authority personnel
The high school football players said they wanted to honor firefighters and police on the anniversary of 9/11 but had not received permission
The bill signed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the 19th anniversary of the attacks also expands the scope of the 9/11 Worker Protection Task Force’s work
Retired FDNY Firefighter Timmy Burke, 51, died on Friday due to 9/11-related complications, family members said
The Treasury Department acknowledges defunding the program between August 2016 and May 2020 to cover “delinquent Medicare Secondary Payer debt” owed by various entities within NYC
Members of Rescue 5 left a candle-light ceremony at their station to respond to the blaze on the fifth floor of a seven-story building
Reflecting on September 11, years after the tragedy that took so many first responders’ lives
New York and Ohio researchers are using dust collected within 72 hours of the collapse of the twin towers in their tests
Operation Gratitude volunteers spent two days at the D.C. Armory assembling packages for departments in cities directly impacted by 9/11
From riding the WTC elevators as a kid to responding to Ground Zero and all the connections along the way
The former James Gordon Bennett Medal was renamed to honor fallen Chief of Department Peter J. Ganci Jr. and to reject the racist views of its previous namesake, officials said
While it’s nearly impossible to compare 9/11 and COVID-19, there is one strong similarity
Almost 2 decades later, emergency radio channels used for COVID-19, terrorism scheduled to be cut
The nonprofit Tunnel to Towers Foundation plans to host the independent memorial after the National September 11 Memorial & Museum canceled its in-person name-reading ceremony
COVID-19 is absolutely worse based upon the number of people who have died – but they were not murdered
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will provide an opening ceremony video, printable honor badges and a digital bell for this year’s event
A letter to members stated that the department’s commitment to remembering the fallen must be balanced with health and safety
Gabriel “Gabe” Aboyoun responded to Ground Zero in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001 and was cited for bravery on several occasions, city officials said
Police say Andre Narbonne, 40, severed the flagpole at the memorial for five firefighters from Washingtonville who died on 9/11, as well as two other flagpoles
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced crews setting up the Tribute in Light will be supervised by health officials following a previous announcement that the tribute would be canceled due to COVID-19
Valley Stream Firefighter-EMT Mike Field, a past FDNY member and 9/11 responder, will be honored with a memorial bridge on Long Island
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation plans to host a 140-person, in-person reading near Ground Zero on Sept. 11
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation says it will hold an in-person, socially distanced event with families after the 9/11 Memorial and Museum switched to pre-recorded readings
One study led by Stony Brook University researchers found that the brain “age” of some World Trade Center responders is 10 years older on average than the general population
Hackensack Firefighter Rich Kubler, 53, died from stage 4 liver cancer on Saturday after more than 20 years of service
Supporters have staged overnight vigils and offered to install surveillance cameras at the shrine to five firefighters who lost their lives at the World Trade Center
The memorial honors five Washingtonville firefighters who died in the collapse of the World Trade Center
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced the names of five more first responders whose families will receive support
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