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How 9/11 Changed America Essay

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The terrorist attacks on September 11 changed America forever. The attacks led to President Bush creating the Department of Homeland Security which tried to centralize the federal response to all terrorist threats. However, local police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians will still be the first to arrive at the scene of an attack. These first responders face a unique and increasingly dangerous task when reacting to a terrorist attack on US soil. The major goal in any antiterrorism plan is to prevent the attack from ever occurring. Federal agencies are the primary actors that deal with terrorism, but they rely heavily on local police to assist in their mission. Local police forces are those that are likely to encounter any …show more content…

The attacks on the morning of September 11, 2001 left the American people in shock and awe. The attacks left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York, the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania including 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers (history.com, 2010). Most people had not seen firsthand the kind of devastation that was brought upon this nation in their lifetimes. The police, firefighters, and port authority officers of New York responded quickly in an effort to save as many lives as possible. Many of them lost their lives during the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings. What is not as frequently cited is the number of health concerns that still plague the thousands of first responders that tried to help the victims of the vicious attacks. According to the Center for Disease Control’s World Trade Center Health Program (2012), there are currently 32 conditions and injuries and 60 types of cancers that are currently covered by the program. This is a continually growing list of health hazards that still affect those responding to the call to assist in recovery efforts over 15 years later. When the police and firefighters entered those buildings they did not know what would happen, but they accepted that risk. Some would lose their lives, but those that survived would have to deal with the health

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