The FDNY on Wednesday added 37 names of those who died from 9/11-related illnesses to the FDNY World Trade Center Memorial Wall at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn.
At the ceremony, the newly added names were read, a bell was rung and a white rose was placed for each member.
“We have continued to see our members die of illnesses sustained as the result of brave and selfless work that they did in the rescue and recovery effort at the World Trade Center site,” acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at the ceremony.
In total, 299 FDNY members have died from 9/11-related illnesses, according to the FDNY.
The FDNY said this year marks the second-largest group to be added to the wall since it was created in 2011.
"In the Fire Department, we have plaque dedications and street renamings and here, a memorial wall. And it’s important to note that while there is tradition in all of this, we have never lost sight of the idea that these names are not just names on a wall or a plaque or a street sign,” she said. “They are your loved ones, our friends, our family and our coworkers.”
At the ceremony, there were 299 flags in front of the headquarters to represent all of the post-9/11 deaths. The 37 members added this year were represented by ribbons on the base of the flags.
The inscription on the Memorial Wall reads, “Dedicated to the memory of those who bravely served this department protecting life and property in the City of New York in the rescue and recovery effort at Manhattan Box 5-5-8087 World Trade Center.”