Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the triplet sons of an FDNY firefighter who responded to Ground Zero are continuing his legacy by joining the fire service. Raymond, Billy, and Kevin Gormley were three years old when their father, William Gormley, rushed to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. While they did not lose their father that day, the long-term health consequences of his work at the toxic site would later claim his life.
William Gormley worked for months on the debris pile, searching for survivors and later for victims' remains. Over time, the health effects of his exposure became apparent. The brothers recalled accompanying their father to numerous doctor's appointments throughout their childhood, though they didn't fully grasp the severity of his conditions. "They never really told us anything really," Billy Gormley said. "But as kids we'd go to hospital waiting rooms in summer for doctors' appointments. But not knowing the severity."
Raymond Gormley noted, "Growing up he had skin cancer, sinus issues. So growing up as a kid, I personally never really understood what that came from. It wasn't until he was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2016 that we put two together and realized it was from his time spent at Ground Zero."
William Gormley died in 2017 from bladder and lung cancer, becoming one of over 400 fire and EMS workers to succumb to 9/11-related illnesses. Despite the known dangers, his sons believe he would have made the same selfless decision to respond. "One hundred percent, without hesitation," Raymond Gormley stated, adding that his father and his colleagues would have gone to Ground Zero again if faced with the same circumstances.
Though their father had advised them to pursue careers away from the fire service, preferring they use their minds rather than their hands, the brothers found themselves drawn to the profession. Raymond is now an FDNY firefighter at Ladder 174, the same firehouse where his father worked. "It's full circle really, it's crazy from him telling me to work with your brain, not your hands, and it's crazy I'm sleeping in the same bed he did 20 years ago," he said.
Billy is currently an EMT with the fire department and hopes to join the fire academy soon, as may Kevin. The brothers said the camaraderie and support they witnessed from firefighters after their father's death deeply influenced their decision. "Once I saw the camaraderie, everyone coming together, people driving us around, his old coworkers taking care of us, the laughs, the tears," Raymond said. "After that in my mind, it was something I would really like to do."
Their sister, Bridget Gormley, who has worked to preserve the stories of those affected by 9/11 and produced a documentary titled "Dust: Lingering Legacy of 9/11," noted the organic nature of her brothers' career choices. "My dad was never like, 'You're going to be a fireman!' Our dad was like, 'You're NOT going to be a fireman!'" she said.
For the Gormley siblings, the shared trauma and upbringing stemming from their father's sacrifice have forged a unique bond. "We all, for the most part, have the same lives in a lot of ways, the same trauma, the same upbringing, the same everything. No one understands me like these two understand me," Kevin Gormley said. As they embark on their careers in public service, they carry forward the values their father embodied, finding pride in serving others. "Just being there for someone on their worst day, being their hope when there's no hope is really something special, something we take a lot of pride in," Raymond added.