Agency Specific Information

Fire Department of New York

FDNY offers its employees comprehensive WTC-related monitoring and treatment through its Bureau of Health Services (BHS); nearly all eligible fire and EMS responders participate in the program.  FDNY and EMS members and retirees in the program get treatment—including medications—for 9/11-related physical and mental conditions at no out-of-pocket costs to the patient.  

Special appropriations from the U.S. Congress to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and private funding sustain the current level of services provided. Continued, committed Federal funding for the FDNY program remains uncertain. The medications and services available at no cost to retirees, (who constitute a substantial and growing percentage of WTC responders) are particularly vulnerable to funding reductions.

Retirees who have moved away from the New York area are at a disadvantage.  They must use their own health insurance, which is paid for by the city as a retirement benefit, to cover BHS treatment authorized outside of the FDNY WTC Monitoring and Treatment program.  Also, they may not have easy access to experts who treat pulmonary and other conditions associated with WTC exposure. 

Mental Health

FDNY members (uniform, civilian, retirees, and affected family members) are eligible for care through FDNY’s Counseling Services Unit (CSU) at seven treatment locations in New York City, Long Island, and upstate New York.

Fire Department of New York Counseling Service Unit
251 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10012
212-570-1693 (24-hours)

Other Uniformed Agencies

All City employees who participated in WTC operations and had health coverage on 9/11 presumably still have coverage if they are currently employed by the City, or retired with vested health benefits.  Active employees still have access to any medical services that their agency may provide.  For active-duty uniformed employees, the Line of Duty Injury (LODI) process is the primary means to get treatment for illnesses and injuries arising out of participation in WTC operations.

Beyond LODI, the availability of WTC-specific treatment options and programs differs across agencies. However, members of all uniformed agencies who participated in rescue and recovery operations are eligible for the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program  

New York City Police Department (NYPD)

Finest Health (login required), the NYPD member web site for health and fitness resources, now has a WTC Resources section. The section provides assistance and information to NYPD members and their family members affected by 9/11.

Members of the NYPD who participated in WTC operations—and any other member of the department—can access mental health services through two NYPD-affiliated, but independent programs.

Project COPE
New York City Police Foundation
345 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10154
212-751-8170

Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance, Inc. (POPPA)
26 Broadway, Suite 1640
New York, NY   10004-1898
212-298-9111 or 888-267-7267

Department of Correction (DOC)

Mental health services are available through the Correction Assistance Response for Employees (CARE) unit.

DOC also has launched a service specifically for employees who participated in rescue and recovery operations at the World Trade Center:

Department of Sanitation New York (DSNY)

Members of the DSNY who participated in WTC rescue and recovery operations and other employees can access mental health counseling through the Department's Employee Assistance Unit.

Civilian Agencies

The City’s civilian personnel and agencies, including the Mayor’s Office, were a vital component of WTC operations, particularly Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers, who responded on 9/11 and were present at the site for the duration of the rescue, recovery and clean-up.  Other examples of participation by civilian employees include Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and Department of Transportation (DOT) personnel who removed and hauled debris, Parks Department employees who helped to patrol the site and to clean area parks, and Department of Health and Mental Health Hygiene (DOHMH) workers who distributed masks and other safety equipment. 

Civilian employees generally receive health care through their city health insurance and prescription-drug benefit plans.  For active duty employees, workers' compensation and disability benefits are the primary means for employees to get reimbursed for job-related injuries; and post-retirement benefits are handled through the pension system.

Civilian employees have mental health coverage under GHI and HIP.  Though there is a co-payment for these services, there is no cap on the number of visits insurance will cover.  

Another vital resource is the City’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides education, information, counseling and referrals to City employees with personal and social problems.