Steve Buscemi, the Hollywood actor and former firefighter, quietly went back to his old job during the tragic events of September 11, 2001, while most Americans watched the devastation on TV. He worked 12-hour shifts with his former colleagues at Ground Zero. The actor spent five days searching through the World Trade Center rubble for survivors, wearing a surgical mask to avoid being recognized and never seeking attention.

Buscemi’s firefighting roots run deep. He joined the FDNY at 18 and served with Engine Co. 55 in Manhattan’s Little Italy from 1980 to 1984, before his rise to Hollywood fame. His bond with the firefighting community stayed strong long after he left the department.

This piece tells the story of Buscemi’s remarkable trip from firefighter to actor and back again. Today, he continues to support firefighters’ welfare through his work with Friends of Firefighters, an organization that provides essential support services to New York’s firefighting community.

Early Days at FDNY Engine 55

Steve Buscemi took the FDNY civil service test at age 18 in 1976, following his dad’s advice. His father worked as a sanitation worker and pushed all his sons to take any available civil service exam once they turned 18. Buscemi had no clear direction in life back then, so he worked different jobs from moving furniture and tried his hand at stand-up comedy.

His name showed up on the eligibility list four years later. At 22, he became part of Engine Company 55 in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Locals called the 1887-old firehouse “Cinquantacinque.” The building itself was an architectural masterpiece by R.H. Robertson that showed a unique blend of Romanesque Revival and Beaux Arts styles.

Buscemi stayed quiet during his time at Engine 55, but he found his place in the team. He kept his acting dreams private from his coworkers at first. In spite of that, his colleagues’ reaction to his theatrical ambitions taught him something valuable about firehouse life – their playful teasing meant they accepted him as one of their own.

Engine 55’s brotherhood changed Buscemi’s life. He later wrote in TIME magazine, “I didn’t yet know what I wanted to do for a career, but at Engine 55 in Lower Manhattan, I found something even better: a brotherhood.” These connections went beyond just work relationships and lasted throughout his life.

Engine 55 meant more than just employment – it represented service and inclusion. The firehouse made history by welcoming Wesley Williams, Manhattan’s first African American firefighter, who later became the first African American supervisor in the NYC Fire Department. This tradition of breaking barriers and building community matched the values that shaped Buscemi’s steadfast dedication to the firefighting community.

Buscemi juggled firefighting duties with his artistic dreams for four years. His off-hours were spent in acting classes and doing stand-up comedy, all while working at one of FDNY’s busiest engine companies. The job satisfied him, but growing acting opportunities forced him to make a tough choice about his future.

His time at Engine 55 shaped who Buscemi became. He reflected later, “I liked the job — the guys I worked with and the nature of the work. I think I would have been happy doing it if I hadn’t had a greater passion for acting.” The values, friendship, and purpose he found at Engine 55 stayed with him long after he left firefighting behind.

From Firefighter to Hollywood Star

Steve Buscemi worked at Engine Co. 55 for four years until 1984 when he faced a life-changing decision. His entertainment career started taking off, especially after his breakthrough role in the 1986 film “Parting Glances.” This success led him to request a leave of absence from the FDNY.

The tough decision to leave FDNY

The path away from firefighting wasn’t easy. His father wanted him to finish the full 20-year service before pursuing acting. “Work as a firefighter, retire after 20 years and then act all you want,” his father suggested. Buscemi knew timing was vital in the entertainment world. Movie offers kept coming, and he realized waiting too long might cost him significant opportunities.

His Engine 55 colleagues didn’t quite understand his choice. Buscemi remembers their skepticism because “nobody leaves this job”. They saw his departure as a big risk, given the job security and stability that came with firefighting.

Keeping connections with firefighter community

Buscemi’s move to Hollywood didn’t break his firefighting bonds. He stayed involved through several key initiatives:

• Supporting firefighters’ welfare and mental health programs
• Attending union rallies and joining protests for firefighter causes
• Co-producing and hosting the HBO documentary “A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY”

The year 2003 proved his steadfast dedication to firefighters. New York City faced a budget crisis that threatened to shut down five fire stations. Buscemi joined protesters and locked arms in front of one of the city’s oldest firehouses. Police arrested him for criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

“I liked the job — the guys I worked with and the nature of the work,” Buscemi reflected on his firefighting days. “I think I would have been happy doing it if I hadn’t had a greater passion for acting”. These words show his deep respect for the profession, despite choosing a different path.

Buscemi now serves on the Board of Advisors for Friends of Firefighters. He works with entertainment figures like Kevin Smith, Gary Sinise, and Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider. This organization lets him help New York firefighters and their families, showing that his heart never left the firefighting community.

His connection runs deep. “It was a time of my life that I really valued,” Buscemi shared. “In taking the job, I really felt that I was doing something of real value and I was part of a community—a family”. This sense of belonging drew him back to Engine 55 during New York’s darkest hours.

Returning to Ground Zero

Steve Buscemi grabbed his old turnout coat and helmet on September 12, 2001. The chaos and devastation at Ground Zero drew him back to the site where his former firefighting colleagues worked tirelessly.

First response after 9/11

When Buscemi reached the World Trade Center site, he found that five firefighters from Engine 55, including a close friend, were missing. The firehouse didn’t answer multiple calls, so he went straight to Ground Zero. The site looked otherworldly – like another planet, covered in toxic dust and debris.

Working 12-hour rescue shifts

Buscemi spent five straight days working exhausting 12-hour shifts among other first responders. Rescue teams formed bucket brigades to clear the rubble. They passed debris down instead of water up, and sometimes handled body bags that “weighed much at all”.

Carcinogens filled the air at Ground Zero, making protective equipment hard to use. Face masks got clogged so fast with pulverized concrete and unknown substances that many workers chose to go without them. Some responders made grim jokes about future health risks, not knowing their fears would come true sooner than expected.

Joining old Engine 55 crew

Buscemi found Engine 55 at the site and approached his former colleagues to help. His old crew seemed slightly skeptical at first about the Hollywood actor’s presence. They quickly welcomed him back though, and he worked with them during the recovery efforts.

Buscemi turned down all interviews and photo opportunities at Ground Zero. He focused only on searching for survivors in the wreckage. His steadfast dedication showed the true spirit of service from his FDNY years.

Working at Ground Zero helped Buscemi reconnect with his firefighting roots. “It was great to connect with the firehouse I used to work with and with some guys I worked alongside,” he said. “More importantly, it helped me enormously because while I was working, I didn’t really think about it as much, feel it as much”.

The tragedy’s scale became clear in the following days. First responders missed their families and attended countless funerals while working extended shifts. Their steadfast dedication to recovery work, whatever the personal cost, showed the true meaning of firefighting brotherhood.

Impact of 9/11 Service

Steve Buscemi and countless other first responders who witnessed the devastating aftermath of September 11 felt deep psychological effects from their work at Ground Zero. His five days at the site left him with emotional turmoil that would last for years.

Mental health challenges

Buscemi battled severe anxiety and depression after volunteering at Ground Zero and returning to his normal life. “I was depressed, I was anxious, I couldn’t make a simple decision,” he shared openly in an interview. These symptoms showed up right after his service and highlighted the heavy psychological toll on first responders.

His story reflects what many 9/11 responders go through, as they still don’t deal very well with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems. “I haven’t experienced any health issues, and I get myself checked out — but definitely, post-traumatic stress? Absolutely,” Buscemi said about his PTSD diagnosis.

Processing trauma

Buscemi had already built a relationship with a therapist before the attacks. “I was already seeing a therapist, and though it was almost impossible to process the enormity of what had happened, just having someone with whom to sit with all the feelings was a consolation”. This professional help became vital to managing his trauma.

Specific triggers could take him back to those difficult days instantly. “There are times when I talk about 9/11 and I’m right back there. I start to get choked up and I realize, ‘Ah, this is still a big part of me'”. The attack’s anniversaries remain especially hard for Ground Zero responders, even after twenty years.

Supporting fellow firefighters

Buscemi supports firefighter welfare because he understands their mental health challenges firsthand. “Announcing vulnerability is a hard thing for anyone, but especially for people whose primary identity is as a protector,” he noted.

He now serves on the Board of Advisors for Friends of Firefighters, which provides essential services to the firefighting community. This organization offers:

• Free mental health counseling for active and retired firefighters
• Support services for firefighters’ families
• Monthly firefighter breakfasts and peer-led support groups
• Firehouse Kitchen Talk program for sharing experiences

The 9/11 tragedy still echoes through the firefighting community. Buscemi reminds us that “Never forget means we never forget to support our first responders who gave so selflessly of themselves on that terrible day”. His steadfast dedication to helping fellow firefighters shows the lasting bonds created through service and the need to address first responders’ long-term mental health needs.

Ongoing Support for FDNY

Steve Buscemi’s ongoing work with Friends of Firefighters (FoF) continues to affect the FDNY community positively. The non-profit operates from a restored firehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn. They provide vital mental health and wellness services to active and retired firefighters and their families.

Friends of Firefighters work

FoF stays completely independent from the FDNY to ensure participant confidentiality. Their services come at no cost, with funding from grants, private donations, and online merchandise sales. FoF’s detailed support system has:

• Confidential counseling sessions
• Integrated healing practices like acupuncture and yoga
• Monthly peer-led support groups
• Family wellness programs and upstate getaways

Last year, FoF provided over 3,100 counseling sessions, and the numbers keep growing. Their headquarters in a historic Brooklyn firehouse gives firefighters a familiar, comfortable space to access services without judgment.

Advocacy for mental health

Buscemi works with fellow Board of Advisors members Kevin Smith, Gary Sinise, and Dee Snider to champion mental health awareness in the firefighting community. His advocacy comes from knowing that firefighters often don’t seek help, thinking “the next guy has it worse”.

FoF addresses challenges unique to the firefighting community. Firefighters face trauma, loss, and death regularly. The professional culture pushes them to help others rather than seek help themselves, which creates barriers to mental health support.

The organization develops specialized programs that fit firefighter culture. Their programs tackle depression and suicide prevention to reduce stigma and strengthen community resilience. FoF knows that supporting firefighters needs an integrated approach. They extend services to family members who deal with their own trauma from their loved ones’ dangerous work.

More firefighters now seek support, showing the program’s effectiveness. Buscemi points out that having a space outside the department for confidential sharing is vital for firefighter well-being. Supporting first responders’ mental health remains critical, especially since 341 firefighters, paramedics, and civilian support staff have died from post-9/11 illnesses.

Steve Buscemi’s experience shows a dedication that surpasses professional boundaries. His path took him from firefighting to Hollywood stardom, yet his connection to Engine Co. 55 remained strong. He quietly returned to Ground Zero during 9/11 and worked with his former colleagues without seeking recognition. This showed the enduring spirit of service that defines first responders.

Friends of Firefighters has benefited from Buscemi’s steadfast dedication for the past twenty years. The organization provides confidential counseling services, peer support programs, and supports mental health initiatives that meet significant needs within the FDNY community. Their work becomes more vital as hundreds of first responders still battle post-9/11 illnesses and trauma.

Buscemi’s story shows how true service goes way beyond wearing a uniform. He continues to support firefighter welfare and mental health awareness, which helps reduce stigma and creates paths for healing. The world knows him as a prominent actor, but his role as a supporter and ally to his firefighting community might be his most meaningful contribution.

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