PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It took 25 years, but the City of Philadelphia is recognizing the service of police and firefighters who were sent to New York on 9/11 to assist in search operations after the attack.
Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson read the names of the 19 Philadelphia firefighters who deployed to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and police Commissioner Kevin Bethel read the names of 15 police and Housing Authority officers.
Their names are now etched on a commemorative plaque, and Mayor Cherelle Parker announced that, if any of them die of Ground Zero-related illnesses, their families can apply for Line of Duty Death benefits.
“Our city is committed to standing with these responders and their families,” Parker said.
Former officer Greg Masi is among those who went and now is fighting cancer. He said he always hopes something good can come from a tragedy, and he found it in the wave of unity after the attack.
“It didn’t matter what race you were, what gender, what your political beliefs were, what your religious beliefs were; everybody came together. People say, ‘Do you think you’ll ever see [another] 9/11? I say, ‘I hope not, but I’d rather see a 9/12 any day of the week.’”
A member of Parker’s press office would not let her answer why this has taken 25 years, but she did say she thinks it’s the right thing.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve done here today, as a city,” Parker said.
