The background to the disaster that was 9/11 has been researched exhaustively, while the security and geopolitical outcomes — notably in Afghanistan, Iraq, the whole Middle East and many other parts of the world — are evident, with many effects felt to this day. But the event itself has receded into the past, and for younger generations is but history. The reality of two planes flown maliciously into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in Manhattan, and the attempt to fly one into the Pentagon in Washington DC, is unknown to many, undoubtedly outside the USA.

Brenda Berkman, the first female firefighter in the New York Fire Department, or indeed in the US, was there: she was a first responder. In a narrative often harrowing she recounts the reality of the day, in what was left of the World Trade Centre — as indeed the many months afterwards when the debris was cleared. From devastating detail and trauma of the event to ensuring the place of women in remembering 9/11, Brenda Berkman offers a gripping testimony to a day that changed world history. An important conversation!

This episode was recorded on 11 September 2026


Chapters



  • Brenda's journey to becoming the first female firefighter in NYC
  • Brenda recounts her experience on 9-11
  • Health impacts and long-term effects on responders
  • Lessons learned and the future of women in firefighting
  • Brenda's life after retirement and advocacy for women

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