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.
In the aftermath, thousands of first responders converged on the sites of destruction, climbing through mountains of smoking debris and rubble in a race to find survivors. Ultimately, 8 EMS providers and 343 firefighters died that day and countless more have succumbed to 9/11-related illnesses from their time working at Ground Zero.
Read the stories of survivors, as well as how lessons learned are impacting the way first responders of today train and respond to incidents. To share your 9/11 story, email editor@ems1.com.
Three of the FDNY’s leading responders on Sept. 11, 2001, reflect on how 9/11 impacted EMS and beyond
A new installation at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum explores the lasting impacts of the dust that blanketed New York in the wake of the terrorist attack
Fairfax County Fire & Rescue works to ensure that the next generation of firefighters, EMTs and paramedics understand the legacy of 9/11’s fallen firefighters
Through a series of portraits, Kate Bergen hopes to elevate the stories and recognition of the women who answered the call on that September day
The money would shore up the 9/11 World Trade Center Health Program, which was permanently extended, along with the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
Podcast hosts Chris Cebollero, Marc Bashoor, Rob Lawrence and Jim Dudley address how 9/11 affected all facets of public safety
Have we taken the lessons learned from 9/11 and truly changed our practices?
We must not only “never forget” those who died, but also never forget to stay safe, plan for the worst and to make swift decisions despite challenging parameters
The World Trade Center Health Program report details the health impacts faced by the 15,000+ FDNY first responders who worked at Ground Zero
‘My job was to try as best I could to explain what was going on and put it in perspective’
Years of preplanning aided the incident command of an MCI, building fire, technical rescue, hazmat, and terrorism crime scene all in one
Readers share their photos of the World Trade Center steel in their communities
“It is not a matter of if, but when,” victims’ advocate says while encouraging those affected to file
Officials confirmed the live reading will be reinstated following disagreement over pandemic restrictions last year
The CDC notified New York officials on Friday of the Trump administration’s plans to restore the $3.3 million
The two new ambulances will be put into service in Topeka and Shawnee County, Kansas this month
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Mayor Bill de Blasio that the city is responsible for reimbursing the funds the federal government wrongly removed from the FDNY’s World Trade Center Health Program
The Firefighter-EMT Michael J. Field Memorial Bridge on Long Island was dedicated in a ceremony on Saturday
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
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
A damaged FDNY ambulance displayed at the 9/11 Memorial Museum immortalizes the bravery and sacrifice of the EMS providers who responded to the attacks
We revisit a special episode in which our co-hosts discuss the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
While many events have moved to the virtual realm, COVID-19 has not stopped EMS from commemorating 9/11
EMS partners with healthcare coalitions in PPE supply, COVID-19 treatments and COVID-19 vaccination
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
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
A letter to members stated that the department’s commitment to remembering the fallen must be balanced with health and safety
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
