FDNY and 9/11: Clinical services and health outcomes in World Trade Center-exposed firefighters and EMS workers from 2001 to 2016

Background

After the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks on September 11, 2001, the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) instituted a WTC medical monitoring and treatment program and established a data center to document health outcomes in the WTC-exposed workforce of ∼16,000 firefighters and EMS workers.

Methods

FDNY schedules routine monitoring exams every 12–18 months and physical and mental health treatment appointments, as required.

Results

FDNY research studies have consistently found that early arrival to work and/or prolonged work at the WTC-site increased the risks for adverse physical and mental health outcomes. To date, a substantial proportion has been diagnosed with obstructive airways disease, chronic rhinosinusitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease; a quarter has two or more of these conditions.

Conclusions

While much has been learned, the entire spectrum and trajectory of WTC-related disorders and their mechanisms of onset and persistence remain to be fully described. Am. J. Ind. Med. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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