Design to Honor Sept. 11 Rescuers and Recovery Workers Unveiled

NEW YORK (AP) — A pathway flanked by six stones meant to symbolize strength and determination will be added to the Sept. 11 memorial site in lower Manhattan to honor the rescue and recovery workers who toiled for months at ground zero, officials announced Wednesday in unveiling the design concept. The new dedicated area will also serve as a way to honor those who became sick or died from exposure to the toxins in the environment after the twin towers fell. "Hundreds of thousands of people are estimated to have been exposed to toxins at the World Trade Center site, both on the day of 9/11 and during the months of recovery operations that followed," Alice Greenwald, president and CEO of the National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum, said in a statement. She added, "By integrating this meaningful public space at the memorial, we seek to recognize all those for whom 9/11 has remained an all-too-present reality." The announcement was on the day of the memorial and museum's annual commemoration of the rescue and recovery effort, which officially ended on May 30, 2002. The idea for the space had been announced last year, with officials joined by former "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart, a board member of the museum who has been an outspoken advocate for the Zadroga Act, which provides health benefits to first responders who fell ill after the attacks. He said in his statement: "These men and women sacrificed themselves for the rest of us and have s...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: News Administration and Leadership Mass Casualty Incidents Source Type: news