From Ground Zero to Smithtown

“I made a pact with myself that I maybe wouldn’t meet the standard of the guys who ran into those buildings. But the selflessness of some people is what drives me.”

Michael O’Connell, a retired FDNY firefighter who was at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001, visited both Smithtown High School East and Smithtown High School West on Wednesday to share his experience with students.

O’Connell shared details about what happened that day and spoke about his efforts to help pass the Zadroga Act alongside actor, host and activist Jon Stewart.

O’Connell had been a member of the FDNY for only four months when the 9/11 attacks occurred. In 2007, he was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease, as a result of his time working at Ground Zero.

O’Connell spoke with high school juniors about his work to ensure that first responders and others who are now battling illnesses related to their time near Ground Zero receive adequate health care and compensation.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act provides health care and compensation to people who developed cancer or other serious health problems related to their exposure at Ground Zero, as well as families of individuals who died from illnesses related to the terrorist attacks.