New York City officials say long-term monitoring has identified more than 12,000 FDNY members with certified World Trade Center-related health conditions, while early diagnosis and treatment continue to improve survival outcomes.
The Fire Department of the City of New York has released a new report detailing the long-term health effects of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on FDNY firefighters and EMS providers, as the 25th anniversary of the attacks approaches.
The World Trade Center 25-Year Health Impact Report draws on decades of medical monitoring and research involving nearly 16,000 FDNY members who were exposed to dust, chemicals and other toxins during rescue, recovery, medical care and fire suppression operations at the World Trade Center site.
According to the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, more than 12,000 enrolled members have been certified with at least one 9/11-related physical or mental health condition. More than 10,500 members are certified for at least one physical condition, while nearly 4,500 are certified for at least one mental health condition.
More than 600 FDNY members have died from illnesses linked to their work at the World Trade Center site, the report states. The wider World Trade Center Health Program says more than 9,000 people have died from illnesses related to the Sept. 11 attacks, exceeding the number of people killed on the day of the attacks.
“Sadly, we know that 9/11 was not a one-day event for our department. It is a day that continues to sicken our members,” said FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore. “At the FDNY, when we say we Never Forget, we mean it, and that is especially true for our sickened members.”
The report identifies asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, mental health conditions and multiple forms of cancer among the illnesses affecting FDNY members. Nearly 5,000 members in the program have had some form of cancer, and about 26 percent of those members have been certified as having more than one type of cancer.
Nonmelanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer have been the most common cancers among FDNY World Trade Center Health Program members, according to the report.
Researchers are also continuing to examine conditions that may take decades to develop, including autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, hearing issues and cognitive concerns such as memory loss, to determine whether there are significant links to Ground Zero exposure.
Officials said long-term monitoring has helped improve outcomes by allowing earlier diagnosis and treatment. Five years after receiving a cancer diagnosis, 86 percent of FDNY World Trade Center Health Program members diagnosed with cancer were alive, compared with 63 percent of New York State residents diagnosed with the same cancers who were not exposed at the World Trade Center site.
“These treatments result in lives saved. Aggressive monitoring leads to early diagnosis which leads to early treatment,” said Dr. David Prezant, director of the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program. “Monitoring leads to early diagnosis, leads to early treatment, but here you see that it leads to survival.”
The first monitoring program for FDNY members was established in October 2001, weeks after the attacks. FDNY members worked at the World Trade Center site for about 10 months after Sept. 11 as part of rescue, recovery and response operations.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the findings underline the city’s continuing obligation to responders and their families. “Our obligation to them and their families did not end when the fires were extinguished or when the rubble was cleared,” Mamdani said. “This report is a reminder of a debt that New York can never fully repay.”
The report also notes signs of progress in mental health, with reported symptoms of PTSD and depression decreasing since the initial post-9/11 period.
FDNY officials said data from the program has been important in documenting the long-term health consequences of 9/11 and supporting federal action, including the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and continued funding for responder care.
The report’s release comes as New York City’s Department of Investigation continues examining what city officials knew about environmental toxins produced by the attacks. The city has allocated nearly $4 million to hire an investigative firm with public health expertise to support that work.
FDNY members enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program are entitled to free testing and treatment. Bonsignore said the department’s ongoing monitoring has produced “real, life-saving impacts” by giving members more time with their families and communities.
