The Fire Department on Tuesday rolled out its plans to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, including a ceremony at a Staten Island stadium with the resilient Big Apple skyline in the backdrop.
FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said the remembrance scheduled for Sept. 9, 2026, at FerryHawks Stadium is part of an effort by the department to make it clear that “when we say things like ‘we will never forget’ we truly mean them.”
The FDNY and the FDNY Foundation announced its plans for the 25th anniversary of 9/11 in 2026. G.N. Miller for NY Post
“Everything we do is meant to honor our legacy and never forget,” Tucker told reporters. “This is a massive undertaking that will attract the attention of people from around the world, and it requires tremendous time and resources from our department.”
The department and the FDNY Foundation specifically chose the stadium on the northernmost edge of Staten Island because of “its significance and for its beauty,” Tucker said, adding he was sure all 7,000 seats would be filled.
The department will host a remembrance ceremony at the FerryHawks Stadium in Staten Island. Matthew McDermott for NY Post
FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker (at the podium) announced the plans Tuesday. Gregory P. Mango
“The wonderful postcard memorial was the city’s first monument to 9/11. We think the clear view of Lower Manhattan and the skyline behind me will provide comfort to the FDNY community,” he said.
The FDNY lost 343 firefighters at the World Trade Center site on the day of the attacks, with hundreds more dying since from health-related illnesses, namely aggressive cancers.
On the Sept. 11 anniversary, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum will turn on its “Tribute in Light,” which shoots two pillars of light into the sky that are meant to represent the Twin Towers.
The FDNY will also release an updated health report for 9/11 responders in September 2026. AP Photo/Chad Rachman
The Fire Department and its foundation will also host several other commemorations, alongside the release of a short film about the late FDNY chaplain Mychal Judge, the first reported 9/11 victim, and a podcast series focused “on the incredible bravery and survival” of the city’s firefighters, Tucker said.
Matt Diliberto, the chairman of the FDNY Foundation, said that the 25th anniversary next year lined up with a “renewed appreciation” in the grueling work undertaken by law enforcement and first responders.
Around 343 firefighters died while responding to Ground Zero. G.N. Miller for NY Post
“Clearly, there was a renewed appreciation for the incredible danger that the men, women of the FDNY faced every single day, protecting the lives of property,” he said. “Some of the city’s greatest firefighters, EMTs and paramedics were lost that day, and their loss is still felt.”
The foundation will also be releasing a new report in September 2026 that will account for the continued “health effects” stemming from 9/11, Diliberto said.
Around 48,000 first responders and others have contracted cancer linked to toxins at Ground Zero. G.N. Miller for NY Post
Since the 2001 attacks, more than 48,000 first responders and others exposed to Ground Zero toxins were diagnosed with cancer — with a staggering 143% increase in diagnoses recorded over the last five years.
In late November, 68 boxes of Ground Zero health data were suddenly discovered. Before then, only 24 had been made available to the city.
For the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks, the FDNY held a memorial service at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
The Staten Island Postcards 9/11 Memorial also held its own event to honor the 263 borough residents slain in the attacks, which was headlined by then-Mayor Bill De Blasio.