A quarter-century after the September 11 terrorist attacks shook the world, Chicago firefighters who traveled across the country to assist at Ground Zero are reflecting on the disaster, the grueling rescue operations, and the enduring bonds formed with New York first responders.
The milestone anniversary marks 25 years since hijackers carried out coordinated strikes against the World Trade Center towers in New York, the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and aboard Flight 93, where courageous passengers stormed the cockpit to prevent the plane from reaching another target. The attacks claimed thousands of lives, altered global politics and military policies, and left lasting impacts that continue to reverberate today.
In Chicago, the morning of the disaster unfolded with shock and confusion. Jim Joyce, who was serving as the Chicago Fire Department commissioner at the time, was working out at a downtown gym before heading into the office when he first witnessed news of the unfolding tragedy on television.
As New York plunged into chaos, Joyce received an urgent call from Chicago City Hall. Officials were debating whether to close the building out of concern that Chicago could be the next target on the attackers' list. Joyce firmly pushed back against the idea, arguing that shutting down municipal headquarters would project panic and send a message to city residents that leadership was gripped by fear.
City Hall stayed open, but members of the Chicago Fire Department were quickly moved from disbelief to action. Hundreds of Chicago's bravest prepared to travel to New York to provide relief and support to their overwhelmed counterparts in the Fire Department of the City of New York.
Among the first group to head east was Pat Maloney, a retired CFD chief of operations who now serves as the chief of the Niles Fire Department. Maloney recalled the surreal nature of driving into New York and crossing the George Washington Bridge at night, seeing the disaster zone in person after having only watched it on television broadcasts.
Upon their arrival in Lower Manhattan, the Chicago crew immediately checked in with the incident commander on site. Maloney remembered the commander's striking greeting, telling the arriving responders, "Hey Chicago, welcome to Hell," before quickly assigning 10 firefighters to deploy two hand lines and begin extinguishing active fires.
While some members worked to suppress flames, other Chicago firefighters were directed into the massive pile of debris to hunt for survivors. The following day, another Chicago contingent arrived at the scene, including Tom Ryan, a retired firefighter and former president of the Local 2 union.
The recovery operation was brutal, physically demanding, and relentless. Ryan described how emergency crews worked with bare hands and buckets, sifting through mountains of wreckage in the desperate hope of finding someone alive beneath the ruins.
The conditions at the site were severe, with the air thick with hazardous particulate matter thrown into the atmosphere by the collapse of the twin towers. Chicago firefighters worked grueling shifts lasting 16 to 18 hours per day, often collapsing in exhaustion to sleep on nearby sidewalks before resuming their shifts.
Beyond the physical labor at Ground Zero, the disaster exacted an enormous human toll on emergency services. A total of 343 FDNY members were killed in the collapse, alongside 60 police officers and eight paramedics. More than 1,000 individuals who died in the towers were never recovered. Chicago personnel made it a priority to attend funerals for fallen New York firefighters, showing up in groups of a dozen or more in full dress uniform to support grieving families.
The relationships built during those dark weeks created lifelong ties between the two departments. When Herbie Johnson, a Chicago firefighter who served at Ground Zero, died in the line of duty while battling a blaze in Chicago's Gage Park neighborhood in 2012, dozens of FDNY members traveled to Chicago to attend his funeral.
A steel artifact from the World Trade Center was subsequently dedicated in Johnson's memory and installed at King-Lockhart Park in Chicago to honor him and the other first responders who lost their lives on September 11. To this day, New York firefighters return annually to Chicago to participate in the Herbie Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament.
Looking back on the tragedy 25 years later, Joyce expressed profound gratitude that Chicago was spared from a similar disaster, though he still recalls the chilling fear that his city might have been next.
The passage of time has not erased the physical toll for the responders who answered the call. Hundreds of emergency workers have since died from illnesses linked to toxic exposures at Ground Zero, and both Maloney and Ryan continue to experience health complications from their service. As they travel to New York for 25th anniversary remembrance ceremonies, they remain dedicated to their promise to never forget, emphasizing the enduring brotherhood formed when they stood together to help FDNY back to its feet.
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