The New York City Fire Department has lost dozens of members this past year to diseases related to rescue-and-recovery work after Sept. 11, 2001, pushing the department over a grim threshold: More FDNY responders have now died from 9/11-related diseases than were killed on the day of the attack.
“Our list of heroes grows each year,” said FDNY Acting Chief John Esposito at a solemn ceremony Wednesday during which 32 of the most recent deaths were added to the FDNY World Trade Center Memorial Wall.
On Sept. 11, 2001, 343 FDNY responders were killed, many as they rushed into burning, collapsing skyscrapers to try to save lives. Since that day, 363 more have died of illnesses related to the toxic work of digging through rubble looking for survivors and recovering the deceased, including fellow firefighters, according to the FDNY.