FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore hosts Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City officials at 9/11 Memorial & Museum

May 12, 2026

FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore hosted Mayor Zohran Mamdani and fellow New York City agency leaders on Monday, May 11, 2026, at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks.

The gathering included a presentation and tour of the facility and provided an opportunity for city leaders to reflect on the strength, unity and resilience New Yorkers showed in the aftermath of the attacks. It also reaffirmed the shared responsibility to never forget and continue working together in service of New York City.

Fire Commissioner Bonsignore was working as an instructor at the EMS Academy on Sept. 11, 2001, nearing her 10-year anniversary with the Department. Commissioner Bonsignore, as well as others working at Fort Totten grabbed as much equipment as possible and loaded onto buses and headed to the World Trade Center.

"Each one of us has our own story, and I'm sure you have yours," Commissioner Bonsignore said at Monday's event. "The names that you see etched in the brass outside are not just letters. These are the souls of the people who were lost on this site. I asked you here today because we, collectively, are the power of this City. We are the leaders of this great City, and should anything happen again, it will be our situation to handle."

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said: "We must make clear that there is no burden too heavy when carried together. We saw that time and time again in the actions of our first responders and the strangers who opened their doors to displaced New Yorkers and the volunteers who sifted rubble side by side. As we mark this 25th anniversary, let us--the leaders of this City--return to that unity."

The event brought together commissioners and executive staff from agencies across the City to recognize the lasting impact of September 11th and the continued commitment to honoring those lost while supporting the communities they serve every day.