By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• The 9/11 Memorial & Museum will add a seventh, permanent moment of silence to its annual Sept. 11 ceremony, honoring those who died from illnesses linked to 9/11 exposure.
• The new moment will recognize first responders, recovery workers and Lower Manhattan residents who later died from related illnesses; it will be observed after the reading of victims’ names.
• The change takes effect during this year’s 25th anniversary commemoration and will become a permanent part of the annual ceremony going forward.
• The ceremony’s existing six moments of silence mark the times each hijacked plane struck its target and when the World Trade Center towers fell.
• Memorial & Museum Chairman Michael R. Bloomberg and former FDNY Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kerry Kelly said the addition reflects the continued toll of 9/11-related illness among responders and survivors.

NEW YORK — The 9/11 Memorial & Museum will add a seventh moment of silence to its annual Sept. 11 commemoration this year, honoring first responders, recovery workers and survivors who died from illnesses linked to exposure during and after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

For the past 24 years, the ceremony has included six moments of silence marking when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and when each tower fell. The new, seventh moment will be observed after the reading of victims’ names and will become a permanent part of the annual ceremony.

“The 9/11 attacks caused devastation that extended far beyond that single day,” 9/11 Memorial & Museum Chairman Michael R. Bloomberg said. “In the aftermath, the heroism and spirit of our city and nation inspired the world — but over the years, tens of thousands of first responders, construction workers, volunteers, and survivors have become ill and tragically, many have died. As we mark the 25th anniversary, adding this moment of silence ensures that we never forget every life lost on that day and in the years since.”

Dr. Kerry Kelly, former FDNY chief medical officer and a 9/11 Memorial & Museum trustee, said the addition reflects the continuing scale of the crisis. “These heroes spent the days and months after 9/11 doing critical search, rescue, and recovery work that exposed them to a toxic chemical mix,” Kelly said. “We’ve lost far too many to cancer, respiratory issues, and other 9/11-related illnesses. Today, thousands continue to struggle with 9/11 related illnesses and the number of responders and survivors developing severe 9/11 related illnesses continues to grow.”

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• Four people were injured in a possible welding-related explosion at a construction site on West Van Nuys Boulevard in the Arleta area of Los Angeles on Tuesday.
• The Los Angeles Fire Department responded at 3:24 p.m.; three people were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and a fourth declined transport.
• It remains unclear whether the injured were construction workers or passersby.
• The blast was strong enough to shatter first- and second-floor windows of a nearby apartment building; Van Nuys Boulevard was closed between Beachy and Canterbury avenues.
• The cause remains under investigation; a gas company, the LA Department of Water and Power and the LA Department of Transportation also responded.

LOS ANGELES — Four people were injured Tuesday in a possible welding-related explosion at a construction site in the 14200 block of West Van Nuys Boulevard, authorities said.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded at 3:24 p.m. and transported three people to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A fourth person was injured but declined transport. It was not immediately clear whether those injured were construction workers or passersby.

Helicopter footage captured by KTLA showed a large deployment of emergency vehicles along Van Nuys Boulevard, which was closed between Beachy and Canterbury avenues. Drivers were asked to avoid the area.

The force of the explosion was strong enough to shatter some first- and second-floor windows of a nearby apartment building.

The cause remains under investigation. A gas company, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation also responded to the scene.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s #ForThe343 campaign has logged more than 550,000 flights of stairs climbed nationwide this summer.
• The campaign honors the 343 FDNY firefighters killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as well as firefighters who have died in the line of duty since.
• Participants have climbed in locations ranging from firehouses and workplaces to Blarney Castle, the Appalachian Trail and Minnesota’s Target Field.
• NFFF CEO Victor Stagnaro said the initiative asks the public to symbolically complete the climb the 343 firefighters could not finish.
• The campaign is on pace to surpass 1 million flights climbed, with dozens of events scheduled Sept. 11-13 at venues including MetLife Stadium, Lambeau Field and Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

EMMITSBURG, Md. — Participants across the country have climbed more than 550,000 flights of stairs this summer as part of #ForThe343, a National Fallen Firefighters Foundation campaign honoring the 343 FDNY firefighters killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The nationwide initiative encourages people to climb stairs in remembrance of the firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center. Participants have shared their climbs on social media, including fire departments, social media influencers and a former “Survivor” winner, while challenging others to take part. Some have completed the challenge in notable locations, including Blarney Castle in Ireland, the Appalachian Trail and Target Field in Minnesota.

“I was one of the members of the NFFF team that responded to New York immediately following 9/11 and witnessed the nation come together to support the fire service,” NFFF CEO Victor Stagnaro said. “Now we are asking the nation to stand with New York again and symbolically complete the climb these 343 heroes could not finish. We’re inviting everyone to climb from a firehouse, their workplace or their home, because every step helps us keep the promise to never forget.”

The campaign is on track to surpass 1 million flights climbed, with dozens of events scheduled Sept. 11-13 at venues including MetLife Stadium, Lambeau Field and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Anyone can participate by climbing at least one flight of stairs, sharing the effort on social media and challenging others to join, or by taking part in one of more than 115 official 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs held nationwide. Partners supporting the campaign include 5.11, the National Fire Sprinkler Association and SugarXR, with Retro Fitness hosting 75 in-person climbs on Sept. 11.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• Former Bellingham, Washington, city employees fired for refusing a 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review their case.
• The group includes former firefighters, EMTs, police officers, a senior inspector and a wastewater collections supervisor who sued the city and then-Mayor Seth Fleetwood in June 2024.
• A federal district court dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice in January 2025, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that dismissal in May.
• The Aug. 24 petition for a writ of certiorari argues lower courts failed to address whether the 14th Amendment bars governments from mandating “new drugs.”
• The city of Bellingham has not filed a public comment and does not plan to respond to the petition unless the court requests one; the court’s response is due Sept. 30.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A group of former Bellingham city employees fired for refusing to comply with a 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review their case after losing at both the district and appellate court levels.

The plaintiffs, who include former firefighters, EMTs, police officers, a senior inspector and a wastewater collections supervisor, filed a federal lawsuit in June 2024 against the city and then-Mayor Seth Fleetwood over his 2021 executive order requiring city employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The lawsuit alleged the policy was unlawful and arbitrary and violated the plaintiffs’ rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, claiming wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress while seeking punitive damages. The city disputed the claims, including the plaintiffs’ characterization of the vaccine as an “investigational drug.”

A federal district court dismissed the case with prejudice in January 2025. The plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which upheld the dismissal in a ruling issued May 26 by a two-judge panel.

The plaintiffs filed a petition for a writ of certiorari on Aug. 24, asking the Supreme Court to take up the case. The petition argues the lower courts failed to address whether the 14th Amendment prevents states and local governments from mandating “new drugs.” “The questions presented are critically important, and the stakes are high because injecting investigational drugs can cause irreparable harm,” the petition states.

The city of Bellingham told The Bellingham Herald it had no comment on the petition. An attorney for the city filed a waiver stating Bellingham does not intend to respond to the petition unless the court requests one. The Supreme Court’s response to the petition is due Sept. 30.