Quarter-Century After 9/11, Firefighter Sal Argano Remains the Last Active Veteran at FDNY’s Ten House

Nearly twenty-five years after the catastrophic terror attacks of September 11, 2001, veteran firefighter Sal Argano continues his daily shifts at the historic Manhattan station known across the globe as "Ten House." At 65 years old, Argano holds a unique and somber distinction within the department: he is the final firefighter on the current active roster who was originally stationed at the facility during that fateful morning.

Argano’s survival on 9/11 came down to a fortunate twist of scheduling. When hijacked commercial airliners slammed into the World Trade Center towers, he was not at his regular assignment across the street from the complex. Instead, he had been temporarily reassigned on rotation across the East River to a fire company in Brooklyn.

As soon as news of the disaster spread, Argano raced toward Lower Manhattan to rejoin his unit. Upon his arrival, he discovered the firehouse heavily damaged by the surrounding destruction, though the structure remained standing. In the harrowing days that followed, he learned that six of his Ten House colleagues had perished alongside hundreds of fellow first responders, contributing to the total of 343 New York City Fire Department members killed in the collapse.

The reality of how close he came to sharing their fate has never faded from Argano's mind. He frequently reflects on how a routine administrative reassignment preserved his life, noting that had he been on duty at his usual firehouse that morning, he likely would not have survived the day.

Today, Ten House—home to Engine Company 10 and Ladder Company 10—operates at the intersection of active frontline emergency response and global historical remembrance. Located just footsteps from where the Twin Towers once stood, the station balances the demands of answering calls in Lower Manhattan with welcoming continuous waves of tourists and well-wishers from around the world.

The firehouse itself has evolved into an essential component of the surrounding memorial landscape. Affixed to the exterior of the station is a massive bronze relief sculpture that displays the names of the firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, offering passersby an immediate and visceral monument to their sacrifice.

Every day, crowds passing on their way to the National September 11 Memorial plaza pause outside the open garage doors. Visitors frequently photograph the gleaming apparatus of Engine 10 and Ladder 10, greeting the working crews and taking in the historic atmosphere of the department's most recognized station.

Firehouse leadership acknowledges the extraordinary public profile that comes with working at the site. Ladder 10 commander Capt. Terence Brody, 55, who joined the station in 2016, emphasizes that serving at Ten House requires embracing the public, as visitors from countless countries regularly stop by to show respect and speak with the crew on duty.

Brody possesses his own vivid recollections of that day. On September 11, he was still an FDNY academy cadet when recruits were mobilized, outfitted with protective gear, and transported by bus directly into the disaster zone at Ground Zero.

The scene that greeted the arriving trainees was surreal and disorienting. Brody recalled that the dense clouds of pulverized dust and debris suspended in the air created the appearance of falling snow, transforming what had started as a bright, clear Tuesday morning into a dark, apocalyptic expanse that tested the resolve of everyone arriving on scene.

In the crucial days following the collapse, Ten House became an indispensable staging post for the recovery effort. The damaged facility was repurposed into both an operations command center and an essential respite area where exhausted rescue workers could regroup away from the heavy debris field.

Over the decades, subsequent generations of firefighters have witnessed the complex reconstruction of the surrounding neighborhood. Firefighter Robert Favata arrived at Ladder 10 in 2008 straight from the fire academy, beginning his career beside an active, cavernous construction site that dominated the landscape.

Now 46, Favata has watched the former disaster zone undergo a profound architectural and emotional rebirth. The massive excavation pit has been replaced by two vast reflecting waterfall pools set within the footprints of the original towers, enclosed by bronze parapets engraved with the names of nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks.

Below ground level, the 9/11 Memorial Museum now preserves critical artifacts from that day, including twisted structural steel and crushed emergency vehicles, while newly constructed skyscrapers rise around the plaza perimeter.

Even as officers like Lt. Anthony Giannone guide operations alongside the next generation of responders, the station's deep history continues to draw visitors, including international firefighters such as French volunteer Laurent Cosenefroy, who visit to pay their respects to pioneers like Daniel Suhr, the first firefighter killed on 9/11.

Through all the rebuilding and the steady passage of time, Argano remains on duty in the apparatus bay. His ongoing presence serves as an enduring living link between the tragic losses of 2001 and the continued resilience of the firehouse he has called home for decades.