The FDNY will honor the memory of those who served the city not only on the harrowing day of the September 11 terror attacks, but also those who succumbed nearly a quarter-century later to illness wrought by their heroic efforts. On Tuesday, the fire department is set to add 39 names to the FDNY World Trade Center Memorial Wall at its Brooklyn headquarters. As reported by ABC7NY, these individuals represent the continued toll of that tragic day, with the department having lost over 400 members to World Trade Center-related illnesses, a number that now eclipses the 343 firefighters who perished on September 11 itself.
While an FDNY crews were on the front lines, the city's volunteer firefighters also took immense risks. As told by former Gerritsen Beach Volunteer Fire Department chief Doreen Garson in an interview obtained by CBS News, the volunteers were met with a city draped in dust and terror as they aided in the recovery and cleanup at Ground Zero. Garson went on to capture photographs of that time, providing a haunting visual chronicle of a city under siege and forever changed.
The sacrifices made by these volunteers, often known as "vollies," continued to haunt them long past their service in the immediate aftermath. Broad Channel Volunteer Fire Department's former chief and historian Ed Wilmarth III shared harrowing memories of the towers' collapse and the lasting health repercussions faced by the volunteers. According to Wilmarth, the group's exposure on that day led to conditions such as chronic sinusitis and PTSD, illustrating the invisible yet enduring damage. Tragically, two of Wilmarth's vollie colleagues would later die from 9/11-related illnesses.
Memorials across New York's boroughs now stand as a testament to those heroes who performed extraordinary acts of bravery. Doreen Garson herself battles the scars left behind, a stark reminder of the ongoing toll these events take on first responders. In a statement Garson told CBS News, "Bladder cancer came in 2021. I went through a year of treatments. And then I was clear for a year, and then it came back again. In '23, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and last year it was metastatic"
Amidst ceremonies and memorials, the legacy of 9/11 continues to evolve, marked by both public recognition and personal battles that are fought beyond the light of the public's eye. The heroes of September 11, both from the FDNY and the volunteer fire departments, carry the weight of their sacrifices, a reality for which the city remains indebted.
