31/07/2025
🚒 FDNY Ladder 3 wasn’t just another fire company on 9/11 — it became a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and unwavering duty.
📍 Based in Manhattan’s East Village
Ladder 3 had been serving New York since 1865. On the morning of September 11, 2001, they were “running heavy” due to a shift change — meaning more firefighters than usual were on duty.
⚠️ Among the First Responders
When American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., Ladder 3 was one of the first FDNY units dispatched. Led by Captain Patrick “Paddy” Brown, they arrived quickly and entered the burning skyscraper to begin rescue operations.
🧗♂️ Ascending the Tower
Captain Brown and his crew reached between the 35th and 44th floors, helping civilians escape, treating burn victims, and guiding people down crowded stairwells. His last radio transmission was both haunting and heroic:
“This is the officer of Ladder Co. 3. I refuse the order! I am on the 44th floor and we have too many burned people with me. I’m not leaving them.”
It was one of the final communications before the North Tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m., taking all Ladder 3 members inside with it.
🕊️ The Ultimate Sacrifice
Twelve firefighters from Ladder 3 were killed in the collapse — one of the largest single losses for any FDNY company that day. Captain Brown and his men died trying to save lives.
🚒 The Fire Truck That Became a Memorial
Ladder 3’s truck was buried in the rubble, its cab crushed and windows blown out. It was later recovered and now rests in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, suspended in the Foundation Hall as a powerful tribute to those lost.
🏅 Legacy
Ladder 3 represents everything the world came to admire about New York City’s first responders:
Unshakable courage
Refusal to abandon those in danger
Sacrifice in the face of impossible odds
Their story reminds us that the heroes of 9/11 didn’t just react — they ran toward the flames and gave everything they had.
We Will Never Forget.
