Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed two executive orders ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, formally designating the date as a citywide Day of Remembrance and Service and overhauling New York City’s emergency preparedness framework for the first time since 2007. The orders arrive alongside a sobering FDNY health report documenting a quarter-century of illness among first responders.
Key Takeaways
- Mayor Mamdani’s first executive order establishes September 11 as an annual citywide Day of Remembrance and Service, the first such formal designation by a New York City mayor.
- A second executive order creates the Continuity and Mission Assurance Team (CMAT), replacing a continuity-of-operations framework that had not been updated since 2007.
- The FDNY’s 25-Year World Trade Center Health Impact Report documents more than 600 FDNY member deaths from 9/11-related illnesses, with over 12,000 members certified for at least one WTC-linked condition.
- Cancer survival rates among FDNY WTC Health Program participants sit at 86% five years after diagnosis, compared to 63% for the general New York State population.
- The 25th anniversary commemoration ceremony on September 11 will feature a reading of 2,983 names, seven moments of silence, and a concert by the New York Philharmonic at the Perelman Performing Arts Center.
Two Executive Orders Formalize Remembrance and Modernize Emergency Planning
Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed both executive orders on September 4, 2026, at City Hall. The first order designates September 11 as an official citywide Day of Remembrance and Service on a permanent, annual basis. The order directs city agencies to observe a moment of silence honoring those killed in the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93, as well as those who have suffered health consequences in the decades since. City agencies are also encouraged to hold memorial ceremonies, educational programming, and community service activities each year. The Mayor’s Office will coordinate volunteer opportunities through NYC Service.
While similar observances exist at the state and federal levels, City Hall noted that no previous New York City mayor had taken the step of formally codifying September 11 as a citywide day of service through executive action.
The second executive order establishes the Continuity and Mission Assurance Team, known as CMAT. The new interagency body will be chaired by the deputy mayor for operations and composed of senior leadership from across city government. CMAT replaces the continuity-of-operations structure put in place under then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg in October 2007. That framework directed the Office of Emergency Management and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications to create standardized continuity planning across all city agencies. Nearly two decades later, the Mamdani administration determined the structure needed modernization. In 2026 alone, New York City Emergency Management has already supported 20 real-world continuity incidents, including two major snowstorms, building fires, and technology failures.
FDNY Health Report Documents a Quarter-Century of 9/11-Related Illness
Three days before the executive order signing, the FDNY released its 25-Year World Trade Center Health Impact Report on September 1, 2026. FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore and Chief Medical Officer David J. Prezant presented the findings at a public briefing at FDNY headquarters.
The report draws on 25 years of medical monitoring, treatment, and research involving firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, officers, retirees, and civilian personnel who participated in the rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero. The numbers reflect the scale of that exposure. More than 600 FDNY members have died from illnesses linked to their work at the World Trade Center site. Over 12,000 members have been certified with at least one physical or mental health condition through the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program. Of those, 10,562 carry certification for at least one physical health condition, including lower respiratory disease, upper respiratory disease, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. An additional 4,496 members are certified for at least one mental health condition. Nearly 4,257 members currently hold cancer certification, with nonmelanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer among the most common diagnoses.
The report also points to measurable progress in treatment outcomes. Five years after receiving a cancer diagnosis, 86% of FDNY World Trade Center Health Program participants were alive, compared to 63% of New York State residents diagnosed with the same cancers who were not exposed to the World Trade Center. FDNY officials attribute the survival gap to aggressive monitoring, early detection, and treatment provided at no cost to enrolled members. The rate of post-traumatic stress disorder among program participants has also decreased, dropping from 16% in earlier assessments to 6% in the current report.
Nearly 16,000 FDNY members have enrolled in the program since its inception in October 2001, and more than 84% remain active participants. In 2026, Congress provided full funding for the federal World Trade Center Health Program, supporting continued care for responders and survivors nationwide.
Commemoration Ceremony and Citywide Tributes Anchor the 25th Anniversary
The formal 25th anniversary commemoration ceremony will take place at the 9/11 Memorial plaza in Lower Manhattan on Friday, September 11, 2026. The ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m., with the Memorial plaza opening to 9/11 family members at 7:00 a.m. Family members will read aloud the names of the 2,983 men, women, and children killed in the September 11, 2001, attacks and the February 26, 1993, World Trade Center bombing. Seven moments of silence will mark the times each World Trade Center tower was struck and fell, the attack on the Pentagon, the crash of Flight 93, and a dedicated observance for those lost to 9/11-related illness in the years since.
Later that day, the Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center will host a landmark concert. The New York Philharmonic, led by incoming Tang Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, will perform alongside the U.S. Army Field Band Soldiers’ Chorus. The program includes works by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, as well as the world premiere of a commissioned piece by composer Julia Adolphe with texts by poet Safiya Sinclair. Doors open to families at 11:00 a.m., with the concert scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
St. Paul’s Chapel, part of the Episcopal Parish of Trinity Church Wall Street, will ring the Bell of Hope at 8:46 a.m. in a pattern of four sets of five rings, the traditional firefighter salute to the fallen. The Tribute in Light, the annual installation of two columns of blue light projected over Lower Manhattan to evoke the Twin Towers, will illuminate the sky from dusk until dawn. The New York Yankees and New York Mets will also open a three-game Subway Series at Yankee Stadium on September 11, with a pregame ceremony featuring tributes to first responders planned for approximately 6:30 p.m.
FAQs
What Time Does the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony Begin on September 11, 2026?
The 25th anniversary commemoration ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial plaza begins at 8:30 a.m. The first moment of silence is observed at 8:46 a.m., corresponding to the time the first plane struck the North Tower. The plaza opens to 9/11 family members at 7:00 a.m. and is not open to the general public during the morning ceremony.
What Is the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program?
The FDNY World Trade Center Health Program was established in October 2001 to provide long-term medical monitoring and treatment to FDNY members who participated in the rescue and recovery effort at the World Trade Center site. Nearly 16,000 members have enrolled since its inception, and the program has been credited with early detection and improved cancer survival rates among participants.
What Is the Continuity and Mission Assurance Team?
CMAT is a new interagency body established by Mayor Mamdani’s second executive order on September 4, 2026. Chaired by the deputy mayor for operations, CMAT is tasked with modernizing New York City’s emergency preparedness planning and ensuring that essential government services remain operational during crises. CMAT replaces a continuity-of-operations framework that had been in place since 2007.
