Full Breakdown
Preserving Memory: 25 Years After 9/11, Firefighters Keep the Fallen’s Names Alive
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – Riding List Preservation and Nationwide Memorial Activities
Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, New York City firefighters from Engine 22/Ladder 13/Battalion 10 on East 85th Street have restored the chalkboard riding lists that recorded the nine members of their house who never returned from the World Trade Center. Conservators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art repaired the boards and sealed them behind temperature-controlled glass, keeping the names visible to current and future crews. Fire departments across the United States and abroad mark the anniversary with stair-climb challenges, memorial walks and public ceremonies honoring the 343 FDNY firefighters who died and the thousands who have since succumbed to related illnesses.
Background & Context – The Enduring Impact on the FDNY
The attacks claimed 343 New York City firefighters, the largest loss of a municipal fire service in a single incident. Many survivors worked at Ground Zero, later developing cancers and other illnesses that added dozens of post-9/11 deaths to the original toll. As the original cohort of 9/11-era firefighters dwindles, preserving historic artifacts and creating living memorials has become central to passing the story to younger generations.
Data & Statistics
- Approximately 840 firefighters who were on duty on September 11, 2001 remain active in the FDNY.
- 343 FDNY firefighters died in the attacks.
- The riding list boards display the nine names of the East 85th Street crew who were unaccounted for after the towers collapsed.
- Memorial stair climbs replicate the 110 stories of the Twin Towers; participants often walk 2,200 steps to symbolize the towers’ height.
Official Statements & Responses
Captain Douglas Mitchell, a 27-year veteran, described the preserved boards as “a wonderful history” that connects the present crew to the men who worked and died there. He said the sight of the names reinforces the bond among firefighters.
Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore addressed families at the Staten Island ceremony, acknowledging the ongoing pain of losing loved ones both on September 11 and later to illness, and pledged that the department will “never forget” those sacrifices.
On-the-Ground Reports – Community-Driven Remembrance
At the East 85th Street firehouse, Captain Mitchell reunited with 9/11 veterans Stephen Saucedo and Juan Rivera, both still on active duty.
In Lexington, Kentucky, hundreds gathered for the annual memorial stair climb, each step and bell toll honoring the fallen. Participants ranged from FDNY Rescue One veterans to community members such as Mary Spanner, who recalled the somber atmosphere of the day.
Staten Island hosted a ceremony outside the FerryHawks stadium, where flags bearing the names of firefighters who died in the attacks or later from related illnesses fluttered alongside a water salute from a city fireboat. Families, including Robert Welsh III’s daughter Mia Welsh, shared personal stories of loss and pride.
The Plover Fire Department in Wisconsin organized a 9/11 memorial walk, with firefighters completing 2,200 steps—nine laps in the morning and eleven in the evening—to symbolize the date. Battalion Chief Bobby Sullivan emphasized the event’s role in keeping the memory of the 343 fallen firefighters alive for the community.
