For many first responders, Sept. 11, 2001, isn’t just history. It’s a defining moment in their careers or the reason they chose the profession. And now, 25 years later, the story of 9/11 continues to evolve.
Behind the images of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are the lesser-known stories about the attacks’ lasting impact — on the people who survived, the responders who answered the call and the generations that have followed.
Here are five lesser-known facts we should all know and share with our communities about the 9/11 responders’ legacies.
1. The number of first responders who died on 9/11 depends on what you’re counting
Many people know the iconic numbers: 343 firefighters, 37 Port Authority police officers, 23 NYPD officers and eight EMS providers were killed during the attacks. But those figures tell only part of the story.
The death toll associated with 9/11 has continued to grow for decades. Thousands of responders, recovery workers and others exposed to toxic dust have developed cancers, respiratory diseases and other illnesses linked to their time at the World Trade Center crash site.
For FDNY alone, the number of members who have died from 9/11-related illnesses has now surpassed the 343 firefighters killed on Sept. 11 itself. The federal World Trade Center Health Program continues to monitor and treat responders and survivors, and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund continues to process claims.
The question, “How many first responders died because of 9/11?” no longer has a single answer.
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2. 9/11-related illness didn’t only affect first responders
When people think about 9/11 illnesses, they often picture firefighters working on “the pile.” But the toxic exposure reached far beyond traditional public safety.
Among those affected was Michael Geczik, an AT&T telecommunications worker who spent five days at Ground Zero beginning Sept. 13, 2001, helping restore communications to Lower Manhattan. Like thousands of utility workers, contractors and recovery personnel, he was exposed while performing essential work that allowed the city to function again.
More than a decade later, Geczik was diagnosed with a 9/11-related cancer. He lived with the disease for 10 years before dying in 2024.
His daughter, Ashley Geczik, is honoring him by running this year’s 9/11 Memorial & Museum 4M race.
“My story is just one of thousands,” she says. “My dad always taught me the importance of remembering every single one of them.”
The World Trade Center Health Program serves not only firefighters and law enforcement officers, but also construction workers, telecommunications workers, sanitation workers, volunteers, office workers, residents and others whose lives were forever altered by exposure after the attacks.
3. Some children who survived 9/11 are now serving their country
On Sept. 11, 2001, Hanna Born was just 3 years old.
She was inside the Pentagon daycare when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building.
She and her infant sister were evacuated by service members who carried children to safety before parents could be reunited with them.
Today, Born is an Air Force helicopter pilot. Her younger sister also chose military service and is currently deployed in the Middle East.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks, Born launched Run to Remember 2,977, a yearlong effort to run 2,977 miles — one mile for every person killed in the attacks on 9/11 — while sharing the story of each victim.
What began as a personal tribute has evolved into a community, connecting her with victims’ families across the country through social media. In New York City, Hanna ran the 2026 9/11 Memorial & Museum 4M race with a woman named Kate who lost her firefighter father on 9/11.
“I want families to know that, 25 years later, their loved ones are still being remembered,” Born[RE1] says. “We’re still saying their names, sharing their stories, and keeping our promise to never forget.”
4. Hundreds of retired first responders answered the call
The response to 9/11 wasn’t limited to those already on duty.
Across New York and surrounding communities, retired firefighters, police officers, EMTs and other public safety professionals returned to service. Many reported to former stations or precincts without being asked, simply looking for a way to help.
One of them was Carly Faust’s father.
A former auxiliary NYPD officer who had left law enforcement to practice law, he kissed his wife and newborn daughter goodbye before reporting back to his old precinct after learning of the attacks. He spent days assisting with organization and recovery efforts at Ground Zero.
Years later, he developed alopecia that he believes was related to his exposure. His commitment to service continued long after 9/11: after moving to Westchester County, he became a volunteer firefighter, later serving as fire commissioner and today volunteers as an EMT.
For Carly, running the 9/11 Memorial & Museum 4M is a way to recognize not only her father’s service, but the countless retired responders and volunteers who stepped forward when their communities needed them most.
5. 9/11 mobilized responders far beyond New York
When people think about the emergency response to 9/11, they often picture FDNY, NYPD and FDNY EMS. But responders from across the country also answered the call.
Twenty-five of the 28 Urban Search and Rescue task forces in FEMA’s national system took part in the response to the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
In the years that followed, the effects of 9/11 reached public safety agencies nationwide. The attacks drove changes in terrorism preparedness, incident command, emergency communications and coordination among local, state and federal agencies.
Many of the systems and practices first responders rely on today — from the National Incident Management System to regional communications planning and all-hazards preparedness — were created or reshaped in the post-9/11 era. For newer EMTs, paramedics and firefighters, those practices may simply feel like the way the job has always been done. For those who served before 2001, they are reminders that one day changed public safety across the country.
Twenty-five years later, 9/11 is no longer just a day that many first responders remember. For a growing share of the workforce, it is history they know only through the stories of those who lived it. Preserving those stories — including the lesser-known ones — helps ensure that “never forget” remains more than a slogan.
EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
