Firefighter and former soldier reflects on 9/11 after 25 years
9/11 anniversary: Shawn Matheson reflects on firefighting and reservist duty See how the attacks shaped response work and mental health support for heroes
Shawn Matheson, a firefighter in Mississauga, Ontario, and former Canadian reservist, is reflecting on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks from the perspective of both professions.
He says watching the attacks unfold in 2001 gave him an early sense of how the events could shape military and emergency response work, and later took him to funerals at Ground Zero as firefighters from Canada supported colleagues in New York.
Matheson said the aftermath of 9/11 also helped show how much trauma first responders and soldiers can carry, and he believes support for their mental health has improved since then.