IATSE Honors Heroic Members Who Kept Ground Zero Bright

As seen on IATSE.net

NEW YORK, NY — We all remember where we were on September 11, 2001. For so many of our sisters and brothers, the tragic events of that day were just the beginning of a long struggle that continues to this day.

When the towers fell, union members in New York rallied to Ground Zero to search for survivors and clean up the aftermath. There were police officers and firefighters, of course, but it was IATSE members who placed and operated the lighting equipment that allowed the search and rescue operation to continue 24 hours a day for weeks.

The IATSE didn’t just show up at Ground Zero. Members volunteered their time for memorial services across the city, and worked to help rebuild in the aftermath. This is personal to me, because I was one of them.

The dust that we inhaled in those days has led to complicated health issues for many emergency responders, and many of us are still dealing with the aftermath.