9/11 REMEMBERED: FDNY Memorial at Metrotech building dedicated

September 17, 2011 Helen Klein
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Besides the 343 firefighters who died at Ground Zero, the NewYork Fire Department has lost 55 others who succumbed subsequentlybecause of illnesses contracted after weeks and months spentdigging through the rubble in the wake of the 9/11 terroristattacks.

To commemorate them, FDNY officials unveiled a memorial wall atFDNY Headquarters, 9 Metrotech, on Thursday, September 8, justthree days before the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

The name of each of the FDNY members who have died sinceSeptember 11 is engraved there, under an inscription that reads,Dedicated to the memory of those who bravely served thisdepartment protecting life and property in the city of New York inthe rescue and recovery effort at Manhattan Box 5-5-8087 WorldTrade Center.

Many FDNY members, both active and retired, who selflesslyrushed in to help others and then returned to the World TradeCenter site to bring back those that were lost, suffer now frommany illnesses, including cancer, said Fire Commissioner SalvatoreJ. Cassano. In recent years we have seen the numbers of thoseaffected by World Trade Center-related illness grow, and — sad tosay — this will continue to be the case for years to come.

Indeed, Cassano pointed out that two more names had been addedto the wall the week before the ceremony, as the illnessescontracted from the toxic dust and fumes continue to take theirtoll.

With this wall, we’re making a statement that the sacrificesour members made on Sept. 11, 2001 did not end on that day, addedChief of Department Edward Kilduff. The work they did was nobleand selfless. We gave on 9/11 and we continue to give to thisday.

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