Congressman Byron Donalds, who represents Florida’s 19th district in the U.S. Congress, posted a series of tweets on September 11, 2025, highlighting acts of heroism during the September 11 attacks.
In his first post at 19:37 UTC, Donalds wrote: “As @FDNY Fire Marshall and a @USArmy veteran, Ron Bucca did not hesitate to answer the call to serve on September 11th. He climbed up to the 78th floor of the South Tower and attempted to rescue the innocent victims in the impact zone of @united Flight 175 before the tower fell.”
At 20:08 UTC, he continued by recognizing two Port Authority employees: “Frank De Martini and Pablo Ortiz worked for @PANYNJ and were inside the North Tower when it was struck. Instead of seeking safety, they chose to help those trapped on the 88th and 89th floors. They saved at least 50 lives by opening stuck elevator doors, clearing offices,”
Later that evening at 21:21 UTC, Donalds described another act of bravery: “Brooklyn-based @FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller was on his way to play golf with his brothers after finishing his shift for the day. Over his scanner, he heard that a plane had hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Stephen immediately called his wife, asked her to tell”
Byron Donalds has served as a member of Congress since replacing Francis Rooney in 2021. Before joining Congress, he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020. Born in Brooklyn in 1978 and currently residing in Naples, Donalds holds degrees from both Florida A&M University and Florida State University.
