In total, 72 officers died that day, and in the 14 years since, dozens of others have died as a result of 9/11-related illnesses.
When others ran away, they ran in.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed two of four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City.
After the impact of the first plane, law enforcement officers, along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety, putting the welfare of others before their own.
Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.
As the evacuation continued, the first tower unexpectedly collapsed due to the intense heat from the fire and the extensive structural damage. The second tower collapsed a short time later.
On that day, 71 law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site.
A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer -- a passenger on the plane -- was killed in that crash.
The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon.
On September 9, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.
In the years since the attacks, many more rescue workers have succumbed to 9/11-related diseases.
Please take a moment today to read the ODMP Memorial Page dedicated to the officers who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11th.
We Will Never Forget.