As the nation prepares to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Bill Spade, a firefighter and one of the first responders, has a clear message: “Leave politics out of it.” Spade, a key figure in National Geographic’s docuseries 9/11: Reunited, emphasizes the importance of honoring the memories of those lost rather than allowing the day to be overshadowed by political debates.
Remembering Through Unity
Spade, the sole member of Staten Island’s FDNY Rescue Company 5 to return home on that fateful day in 2001, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter following controversial remarks made by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani publicly urged current Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor, to abstain from attending the Ground Zero ceremony, suggesting that Mamdani’s presence would be offensive.
A Call for Compassion
Reflecting on the nature of their work, Spade noted, “As firefighters, we always got a call, and if it was a fire, we responded into a building. Most of the time, you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, and we were searching for victims and survivors. We never asked the color of their skin, their nationality, their beliefs or anything like that, political affiliations. We just went in and tried to save a life and help people.” He reiterated that during the chaos of 9/11, personal identities were irrelevant; the sole purpose was to provide aid.
Focusing on the Fallen
Despite Giuliani’s claims, Mamdani has confirmed his attendance, asserting that the focus should remain on honoring the families who lost loved ones and acknowledging the efforts of first responders. Spade shared his perspective on the matter, insisting, “I just try to stay out of politics with it and keep it as a day of memorializing all 2,977 people. They were killed. They didn’t die. They were killed. So leave it for a day of remembering all those people, and let’s leave politics out of it.”
A Different Kind of Commemoration
This year, Spade will not attend the Ground Zero ceremony but instead will partake in a firefighters’ memorial in Coppell, Texas. He traditionally allows the victims’ families to lead the ceremony, sharing his insights through speaking engagements, like his upcoming participation in Behind the Lines: A 9/11 Story.
A Personal Connection in 9/11: Reunited
In 9/11: Reunited, Spade finally fulfills a long-held desire to share his experiences with the family of John D’Allara, an NYPD Emergency Service Unit officer who perished during the attacks. The two men had crossed paths inside the North Tower, working together to assist civilians just before the tower collapsed. Spade later met D’Allara’s widow, Carol, years after the event, but the officer’s sons were too young to understand what Spade felt compelled to share.
Now, in the docuseries, he sits down with the adult brothers to recount his conversation with their father in his final moments, stating, “It was something I felt I had to do. It was always lingering in my mind that I wanted to tell them about the last moments of their dad.” This poignant meeting provided Spade with a sense of closure, lifting a weight he had carried for decades.
Preserving the Legacy
Spade actively shares his story, having done so over 500 times, often through walking tours. As a volunteer at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, he speaks to graduating FDNY recruits, encouraging them to remember the significance of their duties. He expresses concern over how the event is observed in schools, noting that formal recognition often stops at a brief moment of silence. “That really bothered me,” he said, stressing the urgency of preserving the individual stories associated with 9/11 as more of the population grows distant from that day.
Though he briefly experienced survivor’s guilt, Spade reasoned that he would have missed his family more than the men of Rescue 5 had he perished. Throughout the years, he has had a recurring dream about his fallen comrades, which changed one night when he saw his friend Mike Fiore, who was among those killed. “He gives me the thumbs-up, like, ‘We’re okay.’ Since then, I’ve never had that dream. I kind of realized to move on and that they are okay.”
9/11: Reunited is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, reminding viewers of the enduring legacies of those lost and the profound impacts of their stories.
