Vincent Caprio 9/11 First Responder – ‘I realized I need to serve America’: 25 years later, Easton man remembers responding to 9/11
Posted on September 8th, 2026 | No Comments »
A man in NYC for a work conference became a first responder on September 11th, 2001. As the attacks unfolded he stayed and helped people in distress for 22 hours.
‘I realized I need to serve America’: 25 years later, Easton man remembers responding to 9/11
EASTON, Conn — An Easton man traveling to New York City for a work conference on Sept. 11, 2001, had his life forever changed when the first plane struck the World Trade Center.
At 8:46 a.m., Vincent Caprio was walking into the Marriott World Trade Center when the first plane crashed into the North Tower.
“I saw the plane come right over my head and I thought, I’ve never seen a plane that low in New York City,” Caprio said.
Those plans quickly changed.
“I looked up and I thought… thousands of people have died already from the fire ball and the toxins,” Caprio said.
As people began evacuating the area, Caprio stayed.
“I realized I need to serve America, I have the training to do it and the composition and the ability to stay calm,” Caprio said.
Caprio had FBI training in disaster control and said he had been prepared for situations like this throughout his life. He grew up in a military household and became involved in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts at a young age, where he learned the importance of helping and serving others.
Those skills were needed at Ground Zero.
“I was down at Ground Zero and I realized there were people coming out of the towers that were injured. The police and fireman were setting up triages with doctors pretty fast. Somebody like me was escorting people to the triage and trying to work with people and keep them calm and keep some sort of order,” Caprio said.
At the same time, Caprio listened to news reports on his Walkman and kept police officers and firefighters updated on the latest information.
Seventeen minutes after the first plane struck, at 9:03 a.m. the second plane hit the South Tower.
Caprio said he was shocked, but amid falling debris, chaos and unimaginable tragedy, he did not run.
He continued helping injured people and those fleeing the towers.
“I would say to them lets just take a deep breath, you’re OK, you survived this, are you injured? And then would get them to see medical professionals,” Caprio said.
At 9:59 a.m., the South Tower collapsed.
“I was at Ground Zero, across the street from Ground Zero. It made a sound that I never heard before and will never hear again. Once it started falling and you looked at it. It looked like an accordion folding… But the noise, the sound, was so loud and so deafening,” Caprio said.
A cloud of dust and debris quickly covered the area, but Caprio continued helping people find safety and comfort.
Through the dust, he saw the North Tower collapse at 10:28 a.m. He said the sight was so upsetting that he and the people around him began to cry.
Caprio remained at Ground Zero for 22 hours following the attacks.
Once the dust settled, he said the devastation where the towers stood was unbelievable.
“It’s hard to describe, it’s easier to go to a WWII photo and look at the bombing of a country. It was that bad,” Caprio said.
Caprio said he spent another 400 hours at Ground Zero, helping recover human remains from the debris through April 2002.
Years later, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes awarded Caprio, recognizing his bravery and heroism on Sept. 11 and in the days that followed.
Now nearly 70 years old, Caprio continues to live with the physical and emotional effects of his time at Ground Zero.
“At this point I have five certified diseases from 9/11,” Caprio said.
Caprio said those conditions include GERD, thyroid cancer, hearing loss, respiratory disease and post-traumatic stress disorder. He said they have been confirmed through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Everyday I’m in pain.”
Despite the health problems and lasting memories, Caprio said his experience on 9/11 gave him a deeper sense of purpose.
He now advocates for the 2,977 people who died in the attacks, as well as more than 9,000 first responders and survivors who have died from health issues since the attacks and their families.
“I’m an advocate for the World Trade Center Health Program, which I’m in. There’s over 150,000 people registered with the World Trade Center Health Program but only 75,000-80,000 are receiving benefits,” Caprio said.
Caprio said he frequently speaks with local leaders and believes more needs to be done to ensure people suffering from 9/11-related illnesses can get the care they need without facing significant out-of-pocket costs.
He also wants to make sure the millions of Americans born after Sept. 11, 2001, understand what happened that day.
For Caprio, that means remembering the individual stories behind the nearly 3,000 people who died.
He points to the Hanson family from Easton — a husband, wife and their young child who were killed aboard United Flight 175.
Easton remembers the family with a memorial on the town green in front of the library.
Caprio said while the victims are gone, their stories need to live.
“We should never forget the lives that were lost and the sacrifice of the first responders.”
Caprio said he still gets emotional when he visits the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. He thinks about those who died in the attacks, those who continue to die from illnesses connected to the aftermath and the families he met who lost loved ones.
For Caprio, remembering them will always be his priority.
Joe Monte is a Multi-Skilled Journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jmonte@fox61.com. Follow him on X for more.
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