Over twenty years have passed since 2,977 victims lost their lives to the September 11 terrorist attacks. Part of this number, the New York fire and police departments count a total of 343 and 23 personnel, respectively, among the fallen that day.
Since then though, over 650 more have lost their lives to illnesses related to their participation in the rescue and recovery efforts on and in the aftermath of 9/11. Cancer and respiratory diseases have caused the most deaths over the past 22 years but research suggests that first responders also display higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open in 2019, researchers found that the first firefighters on the scene were 44 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who were first present a day later.
Speaking at a ceremony last week which added a further 43 names to the FDNY's Memorial Wall, New York Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said: "Each year, this memorial wall grows as we honor those who gave their lives in service of others. These brave men and women showed up that day, and in the days and months following the attacks to participate in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site. We will never forget them."
