Retired FDNY Assistant Chief Shares Firsthand Perspective on September 11 at The Carmel Foundation

September 11, 2001 forever changed New York City—and transformed emergency preparedness throughout the United States. On Wednesday, October 28, at 2:30 p.m., The Carmel Foundation will welcome retired FDNY Assistant Chief Richard J. Blatus for “New York Responds: September 11, 2001,” a firsthand account of the Fire Department of New York’s response to the attacks and the operations that followed. The program will take place in Diment Hall and is free and open to the public, with refreshments served.
 
Drawing on his experience with the FDNY, Chief Blatus will discuss how the events of September 11 reshaped firefighting, emergency management preparedness and inter-agency response. He will also reflect on the lasting impact of that day on first responders, ordinary citizens and communities across the country.
 
The program offers an opportunity to hear a firsthand perspective on an extraordinary moment in American history while exploring lessons from September 11 that continue to influence how communities prepare for and respond to emergencies today.