HIRAM, Ga. — Twenty-five years after a Georgia K-9 handler traveled to help search the ruins of the World Trade Center, Joseph Grimaldi says he is still dealing with the aftermath.
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Grimaldi grew up in New York and comes from a family of firefighters. He says when he learned the towers fell, he felt called to spring into action.
“I felt like it was my duty and honor,” Grimaldi said.
The day after the attacks, Grimaldi boarded a plane at Dobbins Air Reserve Base and headed to New York.
The former police officer and K-9 handler says he spent 46 days at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, first searching for survivors and later helping with recovery efforts alongside his dog, Kilo.
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However, in the past 25 years, Grimaldi says he has had to deal with the effects of those 46 days.
He said he has battled cancer, lung disease, sinus problems, post-traumatic stress disorder and other health conditions he believes stem from his exposure to toxins while working at Ground Zero.
“We were breathing burning jet fuel, asbestos, burning plastics, human bodies, silica, glass dust, brick dust — anything else you can think of,” Grimaldi said. “In 2001, we were breathing it.”
According to the World Trade Center Health Program, an estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic dust, smoke, debris, and other hazardous conditions following the attacks. The program reported that more than 9,400 people with 9/11-related illnesses have reportedly died since Grimaldi said obtaining treatment has often been a struggle.
“I mean, it’s 25 years I’ve been fighting since 2015. It’s deny, delay, deny, delay,” he said.
He said he often brings photographs from Ground Zero to medical appointments because some doctors are unfamiliar with the diseases.
As the nation marks 25 years since the attacks, Grimaldi said he hopes people remember not only those who died on Sept. 11, but also those still living with its consequences.
“You’ve probably heard a thousand times today, we will never forget. Well, there’s about a thousand people that I’m friends with that are all rescue workers, and we call ourselves the forgotten,” Grimaldi said.
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