Remembering 9/11/2001 Rescue Workers
In Memory of 9/11/2001 Rescue Workers
Today marks the 19th anniversary of 9/11/2001. Nineteen years ago, the United States was struck by a tragedy that has never been forgotten even years later. Every year on this day, families, first responders, and the broader communities come together to reflect on the loss of innocent lives and those who risked their lives by saving others. We also take today to honor the thousands of first responders who have passed, have been injured, and continue to suffer from this tragedy.
Manhattan
Manhattan is a large island with Queens and Brooklyn to the east, and West New York, Union City, and Hoboken to the west in New Jersey. Despite its small land size, it is still the cultural epicenter of the United States, with thousands of people residing here. Some of the most iconic American locations are found here, including the Age of Advertising, Madison Square Garden, Central Park, Times Square, Grand Central Station, and the Puerto Rican Day Parade. These locations bring an authentic experience that can only be found in this beautiful place.
911 Rescue Workers
Whether we were sleeping, eating, or getting ready for work, we all remember that specific morning how we felt when we heard the news that New York had been attacked. We stopped what we were doing as our bodies stood in shock that this atrocity could happen in our beloved country. No suffering has been greater than the thousands of lives that were lost on September 11, 2001. Nearly 3,000 civilians were killed, another 6,000 were injured on that day. Years later, there are over 70,000 people in the U.S. being monitored for health conditions that they have been exposed to from this event. Most of these people include first responders who are dying and suffering from unnatural causes due to their efforts. A report from the World Trade Center Health Program in 2013 studied over 21,000 rescue workers, comprised of police, firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, military personnel, Search and Rescue workers, medical staff, and a litany of other first responders, which concluded that these brave souls suffer from a 15 percent higher chance of accruing cancer than those of us who did not work in the rescue efforts. Of the current living rescue workers, nearly 5,600 have some form of cancer, compared to 1,822 reported between 2002 and 2014. There are now 50 types of cancer identified as being linked to this study. While there has been no public health statement published, we cannot ignore the correlation between Ground Zero and these health issues.
Another health issue being recorded is PTSD that rescue workers now suffer from. Over 36,000 rescue workers have self-identified or have been identified as having PTSD. PTSD has a clear connection to depression and emotional distress. These outcomes have a significant effect on other health-related issues for these heroes. The unfortunate truth is that among these PTSD-afflicted rescue workers, there is a 30 percent higher chance of diabetes. Depression often leads to poor dietary habits because of a lack of energy, mental clearness, and an overall inability to cope with everything going on. These heroes often fail to seek out aid because they believe others’ needs should come first. As more research is published with test results and symptoms collected, we now know that these heroes need our aid and attention more than ever. We cannot carry on with our lives and forget about what they have lost and have had to undergo.
Conclusion
We lost 343 New York City Firefighters, 37 Port Authority Police Officers, 23 New York City Police Officers, either EMT’s and Paramedics from private services, and one New York Fire Patrolman on September 11th, 2001 at the World Trade Center. More rescue workers continue to die as they need our aid to battle this ongoing tragedy they will continue to suffer with. This tragedy highlights the challenges that front-line workers endure and how they continue to battle with these trials’ years later. It is our most sincere hope here at CaseGuard, that when you are interacting with any first responder, that you remember the aftermaths faced by those at 9/11, and consider that the person in front of you may be experiencing similar circumstances, and perhaps you should exercise humility, over judgment.
In memory of all 9/11 rescue workers, those passed, and those who continue to stand. We thank you for your service, your dedication, and your bravery to always putting other people’s lives first before your own.
