Twenty-five years after the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, veteran members of the Chicago Fire Department are looking back on the harrowing days they spent assisting rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, hundreds of Chicago first responders mobilized to travel east, providing much-needed relief to a devastated Fire Department of the City of New York.
The coordinated strikes—which brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center, struck the Pentagon, and ended in a Pennsylvania field after passengers aboard Flight 93 courageously fought to regain control of their hijacked airliner—fundamentally transformed global military and political landscapes. For emergency responders, the tragedy initiated a profound, enduring bond forged in grief, duty, and mutual support.
On the morning the disaster unfolded, Jim Joyce, who was serving as the Chicago Fire Department commissioner, was working out at a downtown fitness center before heading to his office when news of the planes hitting the towers appeared on television screens. The sudden, unprecedented nature of the attacks prompted immediate concerns regarding whether other major American metropolitan areas were at risk.
As the catastrophic reality in Manhattan became clear, Joyce received an urgent phone call from Chicago City Hall. Officials raised the possibility of shutting down the municipal headquarters over apprehensions that Chicago might be selected as the next target. Joyce firmly advised against such an action, arguing that shuttering the building would project an image of vulnerability and panic to the general public.
Guided by Joyce's counsel, Chicago's City Hall remained open throughout the crisis. While city leadership maintained stability at home, members of the department felt an urgent obligation to assist their counterparts in New York. A call for volunteers was answered by hundreds of Chicago firefighters who quickly organized deployments to Lower Manhattan.
Among the first contingent to depart was Pat Maloney, a former CFD Chief of Operations who now serves as chief of the Niles Fire Department. Maloney recalled the haunting experience of driving into New York and crossing the George Washington Bridge after dark, witnessing firsthand the surreal devastation that had previously only been visible through broadcast footage.
Upon arriving at the scene, the Chicago crew reported directly to the incident commander. Maloney vividly remembers the commander's stark greeting: "Hey Chicago, welcome to Hell." Without delay, the commander requested ten firefighters equipped with two hand lines to immediately begin tackling active, smoldering fires burning across the wreckage.
While some firefighters were assigned to suppression operations, others moved directly onto the massive pile of twisted steel and pulverized concrete. The primary objective during those initial hours remained focused entirely on locating and rescuing any possible survivors trapped beneath the debris.
The following day brought additional Chicago personnel to the site, including Tom Ryan, a retired firefighter and former Local 2 union president. Ryan and his fellow responders joined the exhausting labor, using their bare hands and simple buckets to carefully remove debris while searching for signs of life.
The working environment at Ground Zero proved exceptionally hazardous and grueling. First responders labored through 16-to-18-hour shifts while inhaling air saturated with dense particulate matter from the collapsed skyscrapers. When utterly depleted of energy, Chicago firefighters found brief moments of rest by sleeping directly on nearby sidewalks before returning to the pile.
The human toll on emergency services was immense, with 343 FDNY members, 60 police officers, and eight paramedics killed in the collapse. In the days and weeks that followed, Chicago firefighters made it a priority to honor the fallen by attending dozens of memorial services and funerals in full dress uniform, offering comfort and presence to grieving families who deeply appreciated their support.
The fraternity established between the two departments during those painful weeks created lifelong relationships. Herbie Johnson, a Chicago firefighter who served at Ground Zero, tragically died in the line of duty in 2012 while battling a residential blaze in Chicago's Gage Park neighborhood. In a demonstration of reciprocal solidarity, dozens of FDNY members traveled to Chicago to attend his funeral services.
To commemorate Johnson's sacrifice and honor the emergency personnel who lost their lives on September 11, a piece of structural steel recovered from the World Trade Center was donated in his name. The artifact now rests in Chicago's King-Lockhart Park, serving as a permanent public memorial, while New York firefighters continue to travel to Chicago annually for the Herbie Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament.
A quarter-century later, the physical and human costs of the disaster continue to reverberate. More than 1,000 victims from the World Trade Center site have never had their remains recovered, and hundreds of additional emergency personnel have subsequently died from chronic, toxic exposures sustained during rescue operations. Both Maloney and Ryan continue to manage lasting medical conditions linked to their service at the site.
As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks, both Maloney and Ryan are returning to New York to participate in official memorial ceremonies. Reflecting on their mission, Maloney emphasized that when the FDNY was brought to its knees, Chicago firefighters stepped forward to help lift them back up, forever united by their shared sacrifice.
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