The Fire Department of the City of New York released the fourth edition of its September 11th Health Impacts Report on September 1, documenting 25 years of medical monitoring data on FDNY members who took part in the World Trade Center rescue and recovery effort. The report, produced by the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, tracks more than 15,000 firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, officers, and civilian personnel exposed to toxic dust and debris at Ground Zero. It confirms that more than 12,000 members have been diagnosed with at least one 9/11-related physical or mental health condition, while more than 600 have died from exposure-related illnesses in the quarter century since the attacks.
Key Takeaways
- 10,562 FDNY members are certified for at least one physical health condition tied to World Trade Center exposure, including lower respiratory disease, upper respiratory disease, and gastroesophageal reflux disease
- 4,496 members are certified for at least one mental health condition; rates of PTSD and depression have declined since the initial post-9/11 period
- 4,257 members currently hold cancer certifications, with 461 new cancer cases certified in the past year alone
- 86% of WTC responders diagnosed with cancer are alive five years after diagnosis, compared with 63% of New York State residents diagnosed with the same cancers who were not part of the monitoring program
- 26% of FDNY members with cancer have been diagnosed with more than one form of the disease
- Congress provided full funding for the World Trade Center Health Program in 2026 following the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act’s authorization in 2010 and reauthorization in 2015
The Report Is the Fourth Edition in a Series That Began in 2007
The FDNY has published health impact reports in 2007, 2016, and 2021, each building on the medical monitoring data collected since the weeks immediately following the September 11, 2001, attacks. The 2026 edition represents the most comprehensive dataset to date, covering a full 25 years of clinical observation and peer-reviewed research generated through the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore, Chief of Department John Esposito, and Chief Medical Officer David J. Prezant presented the findings at a public information briefing at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn. Commissioner Bonsignore framed the report as both a scientific document and a measure of institutional commitment, noting that 9/11 was not a one-day event for the department and that FDNY members continue to fall ill from conditions linked to their work at the World Trade Center site.
More than 84% of enrolled responders are still actively participating in the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, a retention rate that has given researchers an unusually large and consistent dataset to study long-term exposure effects over multiple decades.
Cancer Survival Rates Among Monitored Responders Exceed State Averages
One of the report’s central findings involves cancer outcomes. Among FDNY World Trade Center Health Program members diagnosed with cancer, 86% are alive five years after their initial diagnosis. That figure compares with a 63% five-year survival rate for New York State residents who were diagnosed with the same cancers but were not exposed to the World Trade Center and were not enrolled in the monitoring program.
Chief Medical Officer David Prezant attributed the gap directly to the program’s emphasis on regular screening, early detection, and integrated treatment. Prezant noted that the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program follows a holistic model that combines medical monitoring, early diagnosis, early treatment, and a peer support network in which active and retired members drive cancer patients to chemotherapy appointments and help coordinate their care.
The most common cancers among FDNY program members have been nonmelanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer. Other frequently diagnosed forms include lymphoma, leukemia, thyroid cancer, and melanoma. Of the 4,257 members currently certified with cancer, 26% have been diagnosed with more than one type, and 461 new cancer certifications were added in the past year alone, a figure that underscores how new diagnoses continue to emerge decades after the initial exposure.
Mental Health Conditions Have Declined but Remain Persistent
The report documents meaningful reductions in PTSD and depression rates among monitored responders. In 2002, one year after the attacks, 16% of tracked FDNY members reported symptoms consistent with PTSD. That figure has fallen to approximately 6% in the current data. Depression followed a similar trajectory, dropping from 36% in the year following 9/11 to roughly 14% in the most recent assessments.
Despite those improvements, the numbers remain significant. Approximately 28% of all FDNY World Trade Center Health Program members have been certified for at least one mental health condition at some point during the 25-year monitoring period. The program continues to provide integrated mental health care alongside physical health treatment, an approach the report credits with helping drive the long-term decline in symptom prevalence.
Researchers Are Tracking Emerging Health Concerns
While respiratory conditions and cancer have dominated the clinical picture for two decades, the 25-year report signals a shift in the research focus toward conditions that may take longer to manifest. FDNY researchers are now studying potential links between World Trade Center exposure and autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular conditions, hearing loss, and cognitive decline, including memory impairment.
The report acknowledges that some diseases and conditions can take decades to develop and that establishing a direct association with a specific environmental exposure presents ongoing scientific challenges. The expanded research agenda suggests that the full scope of 9/11-related health impacts may not yet be fully understood, even a quarter century after the attacks.
Federal Funding Secured Through 2026 Ensures Long-Term Care
The medical data collected through the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program played a direct role in shaping federal policy on 9/11 health care. Research generated by the program helped inform Congress during debates over the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was first authorized in 2010 and reauthorized in 2015. In 2026, Congress provided full funding for the program, a step that city and federal officials have described as a guarantee that the World Trade Center Health Program can continue caring for responders and survivors for the rest of their lives.
Roughly 16,000 FDNY members are currently enrolled in the program. The report’s findings will inform ongoing treatment protocols and research priorities as the FDNY prepares for its formal 25th anniversary commemoration ceremony, scheduled for September 9 at FerryHawks Stadium on Staten Island. Additional commemorative efforts include a department-produced film about FDNY Chaplain Father Mychal Judge, a podcast series hosted by Gary Sinise, and the release of a 25th Anniversary Ceremonial Mark collection.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani framed the report in terms of civic obligation, stating that New York’s commitment to the members who responded on September 11 did not end when the fires were extinguished or when the rubble was cleared. The 343 FDNY members who died on September 11, 2001, represent the department’s single greatest loss of life. The more than 600 additional deaths from exposure-related illnesses in the years since have made the long-term health consequences of that day an ongoing chapter in the city’s history.
