Children of 9/11 firefighters join FDNY

Many of the sons and daughters of firefighters who died on 9/11 are all grown-up, and some have joined the New York Fire Department. Of the 301 probationary firefighters who graduated from New York City’s Fire Academy last week, 13 had fathers who died in the World Trade Center attack, and six others later lost a parent to 9/11-related illnesses. Brother and sister Rebecca and Marc Asaro graduated together, joining two siblings already in the department and following their father, Carl Asaro of Engine 54, who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

“Every day that I came to the academy, I was grateful to be there and to follow in the footsteps of my father, brothers, uncle, and all those who came before,” Rebecca Asaro said. “This is exactly where I want to be.”

What do firefighters have to do to graduate? The FDNY class underwent 18 weeks of training in fire suppression, medical response, hazardous material handling, rescue, building inspection, and more.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s reports in The Sift on how America marked the 9/11 anniversary this year and the status of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.