# ‘We did what we had to do’: 9/11 first responder reflects on duty, survival and family 25 years later

https://mins.news/en/item/56867

- France 24, 2026-09-13 16:18 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.france24.com/en/we-did-what-we-had-to-do-25-years-on-9-11-first-responder-reflects-on-duty-survival-and-family

> Retired NYPD detective and 9/11 first responder LaZetta Duncan recalls Ground Zero as an ongoing history rather than a sealed-off event. Her account moves from the chaos of rescue and recovery to collecting human remains and evidence in a burning, toxic crime scene, and to the severe health consequences responders later faced despite repeated assurances about air safety.

## Related coverage

- [‘We did what we had to do’: 9/11 first responder reflects 25 years later](https://mins.news/en/video/56759) — France 24 English, 2026-09-13
- [NYPD First Responders Reflect on 9/11 and Carrying the Story](https://mins.news/en/item/55229) — NBC News, 2026-09-11
- [WATCH: Many 9/11 first responders face lasting health effects 25 years later](https://mins.news/en/item/54399) — ABC News, 2026-09-11