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.
Retired FDNY Firefighter Lee Ielpi鈥檚 mission to collect and share WTC steel focuses on remembrance and education
Guidance for managing the emotions associated with the anniversaries of traumatic incidents
Honor the sacrifices and the legacy left by 9/11 responders by marking the anniversary with community service, education and self-care
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鈥檚 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鈥檚 work
The Treasury Department acknowledges defunding the program between August 2016 and May 2020 to cover 鈥渄elinquent Medicare Secondary Payer debt鈥� 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鈥檚 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 鈥渁ge鈥� of some World Trade Center responders is 10 years older on average than the general population
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced the names of five more first responders whose families will receive support
House adds COVID-19 infection presumption, extends benefit for 9/11-related injuries
The death of FDNY EMT Richard Seaberry, 63, is the 10th COVID-19 death to be announced within the department
FDNY EMTs John Redd, 63, and Idris Bey, 60, were department veterans and both worked on World Trade Center rescue and recovery efforts after 9/11
FDNY EMT Gregory Hodge, 59, was a 24-year veteran of the department who assisted with World Trade Center rescue and recovery efforts
Valley Stream Firefighter-EMT Mike Field, 59, died from COVID-19 complications after confirmed contact with an infected patient
Union leaders said the COVID-19 crisis has driven 911 calls up by 40% while staff is decreasing as department members test positive
In this episode, our co-hosts discuss a recent award nomination for the podcast and call out a Florida EMT for a job well done in supporting a bullied preschooler
Agencies around the country are honoring the 18th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks with remembrance posts
John Shaw鈥檚 78-second call with United Airlines Flight 93 passenger, Edward Felt, is part of a new book titled 鈥淭he Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11鈥�
Doctors who study pulmonary fibrosis are just beginning to focus on 9/11 victims as the long-term effects of exposure are emerging
A significant portion of first responders had new onset cognitive impairment years after their first initial cognitive test