343 FDNY firefighters were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Since then, hundreds more have died from illnesses related to their participation in the response and recovery effort. Many more continue to face the physical and emotional toll exacted by the attack.
In keeping with its congressional mandate to honor the fallen, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) partnered with the FDNY and Coolwater Productions to create a retrospective video documentary, 9/11 20 Years Later, to tell the story of how the department responded, how it honors the memory of those who sacrificed so much, how the department rebuilt itself, and how the members continue to address a myriad of challenges thrown at them every day.
The documentary delivers a powerful and inspiring message of resilience through the words of those who were there, those who lived through and participated in the department’s rebuilding, and those who carry on the department’s highest tradition of commitment to service.
Fire departments, large and small, can take the insight and wisdom provided by the members of the FDNY. Rebuilding a department after a tragic loss is challenging, but possible. The fire service faces seemingly unsurmountable challenges every day. This documentary will better prepare departments to work on their rebuild when they are faced with seemingly insurmountable loss.
The documentary, 9/11 20 Years Later, is the third video collaboration between the FDNY, Coolwater Productions, and the NFFF. The two previous projects, FDNY & NFFF: The Courage to Be Safe So Everyone Goes Home (2007) and FDNY & NFFF: Still Working So Everyone Goes Home (2012), were produced to support the department’s recovery and tell its incredible story of rebuilding and resilience.
