Two more New York City firefighters have died as a result of health issues sustained while working at the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Firefighter Thomas Dunn, 53, and Battalion Chief Dennis J. Collopy, 84, died from World Trade Center-related illnesses, the Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) said in posts on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.
In a post UFA posted on Facebook, colleagues mourned Dunn. One shared a memory of how he was on-site on the morning of Sept. 11 helping people.
“On 9/11 I met Tommy as we survived the collapse of the South Tower by making it down the parking ramp on Albany Street. Tommy was just out of the Academy and conducted himself as a seasoned professional. He was helping people before the debris stopped landing,” wrote one person, who identified themselves as working in fire safety.”
In a post for Collopy, the UFA pointed out that before retiring, he served the FDNY for 36 years, along with being a veteran of the U.S. Army. “He will be missed by all who knew him,” his obituary read.
The long-term impact of working at the World Trade Center site was recognized in 2010 with the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act — named after a first responder who died in 2006 of a respiratory condition that was believed to be connected to his time at Ground Zero, per the Associated Press.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 400,000 people were exposed to “toxic contaminants, risk of physical injury, and physically and emotionally stressful conditions in the days, weeks, and months following the attacks.”
The CDC notes that responders at the site “reported a range of illnesses soon after the attacks” — including cancer, respiratory disorders, and more.
On Sept. 11, 343 firefighters died responding to the tragedy, according to the Fire Department of the City of New York. Since then, more firefighters have died from illnesses related to working at the World Trade Center than died on that day.
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“Our list of heroes grows each year,” John Esposito, then-acting FDNY chief, said in September 2024. “In 2001, they knew they had a job to do, and they were selfless in their dedication. They did not think of themselves as they ran toward danger. They upheld the finest traditions of this Department—bravery, honor and call to service.”
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