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.
Seeing the brave first responders on Sept. 11, 2001, showed me what I wanted to be when I grew up
Guidance for managing the emotions associated with the anniversaries of traumatic incidents
This special episode of Inside EMS explores the shift from reactive to preventative strategies in emergency services and the crucial role of technology and health initiatives
Ceremonies at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and Shanksville honor nearly 3,000 victims as volunteers nationwide mark the 24th 9/11 anniversary with day-of-service projects
NYC’s pause on $850K Stabilization Fund payments has unions covering medical benefits for widows and children of 9/11 first responders
Ahead of the attacks’ 24th anniversary, the department engraved 39 newly fallen members, bringing post-9/11 illness losses to more than 400
Books about the catastrophic 9/11 attacks and the long return to normalcy are crucial to the historical record of those we lost and how we moved forward
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
For the nearly 3,000 victims, we owe it to their memory to ensure their stories are not forgotten
On the anniversary of the deadly terrorist attacks, the number of EMT and paramedic deaths should come to mind as quickly as “343 firefighters”
Honor the sacrifices and the legacy left by 9/11 responders by marking the anniversary with community service, education and self-care
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 has guided hundreds of funerals and every Ground Zero anniversary since 2001and will step down, closing 35 years of service
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum hiked executive pay to $850K amid big deficits and taxpayer aid, angering victims’ families
EMT Frederick Whiteside died in the line of duty in 2023 but has been excluded from the memorial weekend service for the last two years
The two-year Department of Investigation probe will require biannual updates on environmental health risks first responders and survivors faced after the 2001 attacks
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admitted it was a mistake to cut staff from the World Trade Center Health Program but stopped short of promising to fully restore staffing
Dr. John Howard has yet to be reinstated as head of the WTC Health Program, as many staff remain without jobs—“a shell game,” says FDNY Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Prezant
The Health and Human Services Department has decided not to terminate Dr. John Howard amid plans to lay off two-thirds of NIOSH staff, preserving leadership of the World Trade Center Health Program
Republicans and Democrats sounded the alarm over Kennedy’s plan to gut NIOSH, warning it could cripple the 9/11 health program that thousands of first responders and survivors rely on
Thousands of first responders and survivors rely on the WTC Health Program to get treatment related to injuries and illnesses caused by the toxins at Ground Zero
David Childs’ design of the 1,776-foot-tall skyscraper, once known as the Freedom Tower, is the centerpiece of the redevelopment of Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks
The fund supports 137,000 people affected by toxic exposure from the attacks at the World Trade Center, as well as the plane crashes in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon
Funding for the WTC Health Program is secured through 2027, but a federal resolution passed in December 2024 left its long-term financial future uncertain
Senators Schumer and Gillibrand stated the program serves at least 132,000 Americans impacted by the deadly terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001
The Uniformed Firefighters Association stated that the two members had served at Ground Zero
City attorneys are trying to have a FOIA case dismissed as survivors and victims’ families demand that air quality studies be released
The decision reinstates plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two others involved in the Sept. 11 terror attacks, sparing them the death penalty
Funding for the World Trade Center Health Program through 2040 was eliminated in the stopgap bill to fund the federal government
MOST POPULAR
- Legislators launch bipartisan effort to save 9/11 health program from Trump administration cuts
- How one fire/EMS department honors the heroes of 9/11
- ‘That day has not and does not end': FDNY adds 39 names to World Trade Center Memorial Wall
- Generations of first responders honor 9/11 victims at Pa. stair climb
- How many EMTs and paramedics were killed on 9/11?