9/11 first responders face ongoing health crisis
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Nearly 25 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, first responders are still dying from illnesses linked to their work at Ground Zero in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania.
The attacks initially killed almost 3,000 people, but emergency workers exposed to toxic conditions have since developed cancers and other serious health problems. At Manhattan’s Engine 10/Ladder 10 firehouse, Sal Argano, a 65-year-old firefighter, is the last member still working who was assigned there during the attacks.
Argano believes a temporary assignment in Brooklyn saved his life when the first plane hit the World Trade Center, and he returned to find his firehouse damaged and six of his colleagues among the 343 New York City firefighters who perished. The firehouse now serves as both an emergency station and a memorial, with visitors regularly stopping to pay their respects. Argano now focuses on preserving the memories of those lost for both younger firefighters and the public.
The long-term health consequences of 9/11 demonstrate the attacks’ lasting impact, extending far beyond the initial event and continuing to affect families and survivors today. The United States will mark the 25th anniversary soon, and the stories of these first responders highlight the ongoing reality of that day.
