New Jersey Honors Workers Who Supported Ground Zero Safety Efforts After 9/11
Thirty-five state employees helped protect first responders and recovery crews by distributing PPE, fitting safety equipment and monitoring air quality in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks.
- By Chelsey Arries
- Sep 10, 2026
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development recognizes the employees who supported first responders and recovery workers at Ground Zero following the World Trade Center attacks 25 years ago.
Department personnel traveled to the site in the days and weeks after the attacks to distribute personal protective equipment (PPE), fit workers with safety gear and monitor air quality. Their work continued as fires burned and crews searched the debris, exposing the state employees to health and safety hazards.
The workers’ names are displayed on a plaque at the department’s headquarters in Trenton. The department also honored personnel involved in the broader recovery and cleanup effort during a ceremony at the Empty Sky 9/11 Memorial in Jersey City.
The department’s Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health program continues to oversee workplace safety for New Jersey’s public-sector employees, including police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and other first responders.
The program conducts workplace inspections and investigations, issues safety alerts and provides consultation, training and emergency response guidance to public employers.
About the Author
Chelsey Arries is assistant editor for Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.