Governor Hochul honors 9/11 victims, survivors and first responders 25 years after the terrorist attacks

Albany, New York – Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, New York is marking the anniversary by honoring the victims, survivors and first responders whose lives were forever changed by the tragedy.

Governor Kathy Hochul is commemorating the 25th anniversary by directing flags across New York to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on September 11. Among them is the 9/11 Memorial Flag at the State Capitol and Empire State Plaza.

Hochul has also directed 17 landmarks across the state to be illuminated in red, white and blue. The displays are intended to serve as a statewide reminder of those who lost their lives and the many people who responded in the aftermath.

“What began as a beautiful morning 25 years ago gave way to an unfathomable tragedy. New York will never forget those we lost, those who lived, and the families that were left behind,” Governor Hochul said. “Today, we honor their memory and the courage of a city that held strong in the face of immense tragedy.”

Among those being remembered are 84 employees of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and 40 state employees from the Department of Taxation and Finance who were killed in the attacks.

The anniversary comes with a focus not only on those who died but also on the survivors and first responders who continued to deal with the consequences of September 11 long after the attacks themselves ended.

The state is using the anniversary to highlight several efforts connected to 9/11 survivors and first responders. Earlier this week, Hochul visited firefighters at FDNY Engine 16, Ladder Company 7 and announced an additional $2 million in state funding for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

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The funding is intended to help expand early testing and care for thousands of 9/11 first responders. The effort recognizes that the effects of the attacks did not end when the fires were extinguished or the rescue and recovery operations were completed.

Many first responders faced health challenges in the years that followed, making continued access to medical care an important part of the state’s response.

Hochul also announced $2.2 million to support expanded free admission to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Under the program, all New Yorkers will be able to visit the museum for free every Sunday throughout the year.

The governor has also signed legislation designed to support 9/11 first responders and survivors and help ensure that eligible New Yorkers receive the benefits they are entitled to under state law.

Along with those efforts, Hochul released a video commemorating the anniversary and remembering New York City’s resilience after the attacks.

The video is narrated by actor and former New York City Fire Department firefighter Steve Buscemi. Buscemi returned to service alongside fellow firefighters in the days following the attacks, giving him a personal connection to the events and the city’s response.

The statewide commemoration will also be visible across some of New York’s best-known landmarks.

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One World Trade Center will be lit red, white and blue, as will the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, Kosciuszko Bridge and Empire State Plaza. Other locations include Niagara Falls, the H. Carl McCall SUNY Building, the State Education Building and the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building.

The State Fairgrounds Main Gate and Expo Center, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge, Grand Central Terminal’s Pershing Square Viaduct, Albany International Airport Gateway and the Lake Placid Olympic Center will also be illuminated.

The list continues with the MTA LIRR East End Gateway at Penn Station, the Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal, Moynihan Train Hall and the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse.

The coordinated displays give communities across the state a way to take part in the anniversary. While the attacks were centered in New York City, their impact reached far beyond lower Manhattan, affecting families, communities and public employees throughout New York and the country.

For many New Yorkers, the anniversary remains deeply personal. Some lost relatives, friends or colleagues. Others were among the emergency workers who responded to the attacks or helped with the enormous recovery effort afterward.

The 25th anniversary also comes at a time when a younger generation is growing up without personal memories of September 11. State officials have emphasized the importance of preserving the history of the attacks and ensuring that future generations understand both the loss and the extraordinary response that followed.

The ceremonies, memorial displays, museum access and support programs are all part of that effort.

Hochul’s actions also reflect the continuing connection between remembrance and support. Honoring those who died remains central to the anniversary, but the state is also recognizing the people who survived and those who continue to live with the physical and emotional consequences of September 11.

A quarter-century later, the attacks remain a defining moment in New York’s history. The anniversary offers another opportunity to remember the lives lost, recognize the courage of first responders and acknowledge the families who have carried the loss for 25 years.

Across the state, flags will fly at half-staff while landmarks shine in red, white and blue. At the same time, new funding and expanded programs are aimed at helping those who were directly affected.

The message from New York officials remains clear: the passage of time has not erased the memory of September 11.

For the victims, survivors, first responders and families whose lives were changed that day, the anniversary is not simply a date on the calendar. It is a reminder of what was lost, what was endured and how New York responded in the face of an unprecedented tragedy.