A 25-year FDNY health report says more than 600 rescue and recovery workers have died from illnesses tied to World Trade Center exposure, while thousands more continue to live with cancers, cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions and other long-term complications.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
More than 600 rescue and recovery workers have died from illnesses linked to their exposure at the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a new 25-year assessment released by the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program.
The report released Tuesday documents the continuing medical consequences for firefighters, emergency medical services personnel and civilian employees who worked during the attack and the massive recovery operation that followed.
“These statistics are not just numbers; they are coworkers, friends, and family,” the program’s leadership said.
The report is the fourth edition produced by the program and follows the health of more than 15,000 FDNY members who were exposed to a complex mixture of dust, smoke, gases, chemicals and other contaminants during rescue and recovery operations in Lower Manhattan.
Those operations continued for approximately 10 months after the attacks.
On Sept. 11, 2001, al-Qaida-linked Islamic terrorists hijacked commercial aircraft and crashed two of them into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City.
The attacks killed 2,753 people at the World Trade Center site, including 343 members of the New York City Fire Department.
In the quarter-century since, the number of FDNY members dying from illnesses connected to the disaster has continued to rise.
More than 12,000 department members have now been certified with at least one physical or mental health condition covered by the World Trade Center Health Program.
Cancer represents one of the most significant long-term health burdens.
More than 4,000 FDNY members have received at least one cancer certification. Because some individuals developed multiple cancers, the total number of cancer certifications exceeds 5,400.
Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most frequently certified malignancy among members, followed by prostate cancer, blood cancers, melanoma and thyroid cancer.
Despite the prevalence of cancer, survival outcomes among members enrolled in the program have been substantially better than statewide averages.
Five years after a cancer diagnosis, 86% of FDNY World Trade Center Health Program patients remained alive, compared with 63% of cancer patients across New York state.
The report attributes the difference to regular medical surveillance, early diagnosis, treatment provided without cost to members and coordinated case management.
Program officials and union leaders say those results demonstrate the importance of remaining enrolled in long-term monitoring even for members who currently feel healthy.
“Those of us who remain cannot change the WTC exposures that we experienced, but we can improve our health through medical monitoring, early diagnosis, and treatment,” wrote Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, and James Brosi, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.
Mental health effects have also persisted for many members.
Approximately 14% of those screened tested positive for depression, while about 6% screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder.
According to the report, PTSD rates declined during the first several years after the attacks but have since remained relatively stable and continue to exceed the national rate.
The likelihood of both depression and PTSD is closely associated with when members first arrived at the World Trade Center site.
Those who reached the area on the morning of Sept. 11 have continued to show the highest rates of both conditions.
The overwhelming majority of participating FDNY members also experienced direct personal loss.
Approximately 98% reported knowing someone who was killed at the World Trade Center, while 70% said they lost close friends within the department.
Demand for psychological support has remained substantial.
Since 2001, 8,854 FDNY members have used department counseling services, generating a combined 221,461 visits.
At the same time, most participants continue to describe their overall health positively.
More than 77% currently rate their health as good, very good or excellent, according to the report.
As the exposed population ages, however, researchers and physicians are increasingly monitoring conditions that were less prominent during earlier years of the health program.
The report identifies 1,594 members with cardiovascular disease and 177 with rheumatologic autoimmune disease.
Neurological and cognitive symptoms are also attracting greater attention.
Forty-three percent of members reported at least one cognitive concern, while 26% reported symptoms consistent with peripheral neuropathy.
Those findings are contributing to efforts to broaden the list of illnesses covered by federal World Trade Center health protections.
Petitions seeking federal recognition of cardiac and autoimmune conditions as covered World Trade Center-related illnesses remain pending.
The 25-year report shows that the medical consequences of Sept. 11 have continued long after the rescue and recovery operation ended.
For thousands of FDNY members, exposure at Ground Zero has resulted in decades of medical surveillance, repeated diagnoses and continuing treatment.
The deaths of more than 600 rescue and recovery workers from related illnesses have also pushed the long-term toll far beyond those who were killed during the attacks themselves.
With many surviving members now entering older age, the program is increasingly focused not only on cancers and respiratory conditions traditionally associated with World Trade Center exposure, but also cardiovascular, autoimmune, neurological and cognitive problems that may emerge or worsen over time.
The FDNY’s latest findings underscore why officials and union leaders continue urging every exposed member to remain in medical monitoring: the health effects of Sept. 11 are still unfolding 25 years later.
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