Brooklyn Volunteer Firefighters' Personal Sacrifices on 9/11

The Unseen Response of Volunteer Firefighters

• 🚒 While FDNY and NYPD crews rushed to Ground Zero, Brooklyn's volunteer firefighters quietly stepped in to protect their own neighborhoods.
• 🏙️ The historic Gerritsen Beach Volunteer Fire Department, Brooklyn's only volunteer-run firehouse, played a crucial role in the city's response.

Personal Toll and Lingering Scars

• 🌫️ Retired Chief Dorian Garson recalls the overwhelming ash and dust at Ground Zero, describing a city covered and frightened.
• 📸 Garson documented the aftermath with photos, noting a profound loss of the feeling of safety.
• 🎗️ Many volunteer firefighters, like Ed Wilmarth III of Broad Channel VFD, experienced near-fatal events and lost colleagues to 9/11-related illnesses.

Backfilling and Long-Term Health Consequences

• 🏠 In the days following the attacks, volunteer departments backfilled FDNY firehouses, stretching their own resources and manpower.
• 💔 The number of first responders who have died from 9/11-related illnesses now surpasses the number killed on the day itself.
• 🩺 Invisible but lasting scars, including chronic sinusitis, PTSD, bladder cancer, and breast cancer, are a stark reminder of the enduring consequences of their sacrifice.