Hackensack Meridian paramedic shares journey surviving 9/11 twice
Tito Rodriguez, a paramedic with Hackensack University Medical Center, part of Hackensack Meridian Health, was one of the first responders to reach ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001.
More Stories
Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the health consequences are still being felt by thousands of first responders and survivors.
Tito Rodriguez, a paramedic with Hackensack University Medical Center, part of Hackensack Meridian Health, was one of the first responders to reach ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001.
Rodriguez was preparing his ambulance for the day when he heard the radio transmission about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. He immediately went looking for his partner, John Arcaro, and the two headed downtown.
The two arrived at ground zero and staged near the World Financial Center.
When the second plane hit, Rodriguez says he and his partner nearly got hit by a tire from the plane.
As the response unfolded, Rodriguez witnessed the destruction firsthand and lost fellow EMS workers and friends.
He says he was on duty for a total of 30 hours.
“No one was going home. No one was willing to go home,” Rodriguez said. “After 30 hours, I was exhausted. I was mentally and emotionally and just physically exhausted.”
At one point, Rodriguez was reassigned to the area near 7 World Trade Center. He says he ultimately decided to leave after being told to stage there. Shortly afterward, the building collapsed.
Rodriguez considers that moment one of the reasons he is still here today.
But surviving Sept. 11 was only the beginning.
After going home, Rodriguez says he disappeared for five days, shutting off his phone and taking time to mentally and physically recover. When he returned to work, he continued responding to calls throughout Manhattan.
He also began noticing respiratory illnesses among people in the aftermath of the attacks.
Rodriguez says he always wondered whether his own health problems were connected to what he had been exposed to on 9/11.
“My question always was, are you sure I’m not getting sick from 9/11?” he said.
In 2021 — two decades after the attacks — Rodriguez was diagnosed with skin cancer.
The diagnosis came after he discovered a lump while on vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He had seen his doctor just a week or two earlier and had been told everything was clear. But the mass appeared quickly and continued to grow.
He returned home, was evaluated and learned on Christmas Eve that he had cancer.
Rodriguez underwent surgery and treatment with a team that included Dr. Donald McCain, vice chair of the John Theurer Cancer Center and chief of surgical oncology. McCain says the goal was not only to remove the cancer, but also to determine whether it had spread and develop a plan for continued surveillance.
McCain says cancers seen among people exposed to the World Trade Center site include skin cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, colorectal cancer and various soft-tissue tumors.
He says the risk does not simply disappear because 25 years have passed.
“Do not assume that because we’re approaching 25 years that you’re OK,” McCain said.
According to McCain, some of the carcinogens people were exposed to can remain in the body for many years. He urges people who were exposed to remain vigilant and pay attention to changes in their health.
For people considered high-risk, McCain recommends at least annual evaluations and continued surveillance for those who have already been diagnosed with cancer. He also recommends regular skin-cancer screenings and appropriate monitoring for other cancers based on a person’s individual risk.
He says people should also remember that they know their own bodies better than anyone.
“You know your body better than any doctor you just met,” McCain said.
For Rodriguez, that lesson became personal.
He now encourages other first responders and survivors to advocate for themselves and speak up when something does not feel right.
“Be the person that says, yeah, I think something's wrong. You know your body." Rodriguez said.
Today, Rodriguez remains cancer-free and continues to be monitored through the World Trade Center Health Program.
Twenty-five years later, he is still working in health care — and still reflecting on the people who did not make it home that day.
His message to fellow EMTs, paramedics and health care workers is one of gratitude.
“Even holding someone’s hand, just know that you’ve made that difference,” Rodriguez said. “And I am proud and honored to work with all of you.”
For Rodriguez, September 11 is not simply a date in history. It is an experience that shaped his career, his health and the way he sees his own life.
And 25 years later, he says the lesson remains the same: listen to your body, speak up and do not assume the risk is behind you.
