FDNY honors 9/11 victims, first responders at Staten Island ceremony
The ceremony honored the 343 FDNY members who died on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as first responders who have died from 9/11-related illnesses in the years since.
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A quarter of a century after the Sept. 11 attacks, the FDNY held a separate remembrance ceremony Wednesday at Staten Island’s SIUH Community Ballpark, bringing families of victims together with firefighters and paramedics to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The ceremony honored the 343 FDNY members who died on Sept. 11, 2001, as well as first responders who have died from 9/11-related illnesses in the years since.
Chief of Department John Esposito said the department made a commitment to never forget those who died.
“Faced with horrifying conditions, they continued on, went up into those buildings and did their job, I believe many knowing they weren’t going to make it home that night,” Esposito said.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore reflected on the lasting impact of the attacks on the department.
“A quarter century defined by a single day that did not end for our department,” Bonsignore said.
Bonsignore said the department welcomes anyone who wants to stand alongside the FDNY in remembering those who were lost.
“We welcome as many people to stand shoulder to shoulder with us. Every single day, we welcome it,” Bonsignore said.
As the department honored the fallen, officials acknowledged that the number of FDNY members who have died from 9/11-related illnesses continues to grow.
“Unfortunately, we continue to lose people every single month of every year…there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. But today we got to stand together to remember those who gave so much to this city,” Bonsignore said.
The FDNY continues to honor those who died on Sept. 11 and those who lost their lives from illnesses connected to the attacks.
