By Ashley Ferraro
As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Coral Springs residents and retired NYPD members Irving and Maria Rodriguez remind us of the many reasons we should never forget the events of that day and, more importantly, the sacrifices made by first responders.
September 11, 2001, was election day in New York City, so Maria was situated at her election post in Harlem on that seemingly ordinary Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Irving was working undercover as a detective.
“At the time, every officer had a radio for only their jurisdiction, so we could only hear what was going on in our area,” Maria recounts. “We all switched over to the citywide channel, and that’s when we heard what happened. Every single cop ran out of their election post and back to their precinct.”
Maria remembers sitting in a van for thirteen hours on standby, barely able to take a bathroom break until she could get downtown to the Twin Towers. It wasn’t until 6 AM the next day that she finally arrived at Ground Zero. “All I saw was smoke and dust, it was such a grim sight. All I could smell was death,” Maria says.
For the next two years, Maria’s new post was Ground Zero. Officers slept at the precincts, days off were canceled, and going home was nothing more than taking a quick shower before coming right back. “I didn’t see a day off for at least six months,” she says.
Despite the unfathomable challenges, the officers were proud to do it. “Every officer wakes up in the morning and at night and puts on that uniform to protect and serve,” she adds.
Although it’s been two decades, the tragedy is far from over. The death toll of 9/11 continues to rise as more people have lost their lives in recent years due to 9/11-related illness than did that day. Irving chimes in, “I’ve had a lot of friends that have died of rare cancers. It’s still going on, and people are dying every day.”
The NYPD has lost over 200 current and former members, and more than 500 are currently battling various cancers. That’s in addition to the 200 plus FDNY members killed after the attacks.
According to the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical monitoring and treatment to first responders, volunteers, recovery workers, and affected civilians, over 20,000 responders and survivors have been diagnosed with cancer. Tens of thousands more suffer from other diseases, injuries, and complications.
More than 100,000 responders and survivors are currently enrolled in the WTC Health Program, established by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. In 2015, the program was reauthorized until 2090.
“We should never forget the ultimate sacrifice that these men and women made by going into those buildings and trying to help others when those towers went down,” adds Maria. She and Irving opened Gyroville in Coral Springs in May of 2020 to serve first responders for free. Fortunately, they were able to weather the worst of the pandemic and remain open, serving some of the best Mediterranean food in town.
More than 100,000 responders and survivors are currently enrolled in the WTC Health Program, established by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. In 2015, the program was reauthorized until 2090.
“We should never forget the ultimate sacrifice that these men and women made by going into those buildings and trying to help others when those towers went down,” adds Maria. She and Irving opened Gyroville in Coral Springs in May of 2020 to serve first responders for free. Fortunately, they were able to weather the worst of the pandemic and remain open, serving some of the best Mediterranean food in town.
