By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- The FDNY held dedication ceremonies June 9-11, 2026, at its Brooklyn headquarters to unveil the new World Trade Center Retired Responders Memorial Wall, honoring 154 retired members who later died from World Trade Center-related illnesses.
- The wall specifically honors retired FDNY members who responded to the World Trade Center site after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to assist with rescue and recovery operations, distinct from the adjacent World Trade Center Memorial Wall honoring members who were on active duty during the attacks.
- Ceremonies were held over three days to accommodate family members and friends: June 9 for responders from Manhattan and the Bronx, June 10 for those from Staten Island and Brooklyn, and June 11 for responders from Queens.
- Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore, Chief of Department John Esposito, and Chief Medical Officer David Prezant spoke at the dedication ceremonies, with Prezant referencing the medical treatments and uncertainty faced by the honored members through the FDNY’s World Trade Center Health Program.
- The new memorial wall is located directly across from the existing World Trade Center Memorial Wall at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The FDNY unveiled a new memorial wall at its Brooklyn headquarters this month honoring 154 retired members who responded to the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and later died from related illnesses, with dedication ceremonies held over three days to accommodate the families and friends of those memorialized.
The World Trade Center Retired Responders Memorial Wall recognizes FDNY members who had already retired from the department at the time of the attacks but returned to assist with rescue and recovery operations at the World Trade Center site. All 154 individuals honored on the wall subsequently died from illnesses connected to their exposure during that work, according to the department.
The new wall stands directly across from the existing World Trade Center Memorial Wall, which honors FDNY members who were on active duty during the Sept. 11 attacks and later died from WTC-related illnesses. Chief of Department John Esposito said the new wall completes a fuller account of the department’s response to that day. “I know and I remember, the impact that our retired members had in the response and recovery, and rebuilding after that terrible day,” Esposito said.
Due to the number of family members and friends expected to attend, the FDNY divided the dedication ceremonies by borough over three consecutive days: June 9 for responders from Manhattan and the Bronx, June 10 for those from Staten Island and Brooklyn, and June 11 for responders from Queens. Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore addressed attendees during the ceremonies. “This moment, this place, at this time, we are all experiencing something together. We have exactly the same thing in common. We are one people. We are the family of FDNY,” Bonsignore said. “It’s my privilege to welcome you home today.”
Chief Medical Officer David Prezant, who oversees the FDNY’s World Trade Center Health Program, spoke about the medical toll experienced by the honored members. “In the safe confines of our World Trade Center Health Program, they fought through the treatments, the surgeries, transplants, pain, suffering, and the uncertainty of whether they would see the next day,” Prezant said.