Senior Airman and Port Authority Police Department Police Officer Kenneth Hernandez, originally from Brooklyn, New York, enjoyed sports and music while growing up. His father passed away early in his life, leaving Hernandez and his two older brothers to be raised by their mother.
In 2002, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, motivated and inspired by the heroic actions of first responders during and following the tragic events of 9/11. He loved the feeling of being a part of something honorable. He served as a Civil Engineer in the US Air Force for six years, including deployments in Kuwait and Iraq. Throughout his service, Hernandez volunteered countless hours to his community and was awarded multiple accolades, including Airman of the Month. After sustaining a lower back injury during a training exercise, he was medically retired.
In 2008, Hernandez became a Port Authority Police Department Police Officer because he wanted to serve his city. Hernandez and his partner Patricia met in 2012 and blended their families together in 2016 through marriage.
On January 25, 2014, during his sixth year with PAPD, Hernandez was involved in a devastating motor vehicle accident. His life was saved by an off-duty EMT, Kareem Littles, who pulled him to safety from his burning vehicle. The accident resulted in a spinal cord injury causing paralysis from the chest down, along with a brachial plexus injury to his right arm. Later on, Hernandez was forced to medically retire from the Port Authority. His recovery process was long and challenging. Although he faced depression, his family motivated him to push through. He turned to fitness as a way to cope and continually progress.
Hernandez currently lives in Massapequa, New York, with his wife Patricia, daughter Alexa, and son Jacob. He loves CrossFit, working out, and participating in wheelchair games. Hernandez is also heavily involved in his church. In the future, he is most excited to watch his children grow and become successful in life. Senior Airman and Police Officer Kenneth Hernandez is immensely grateful to Tunnel to Towers for lifting the weight of his mortgage off his and his family’s shoulders, giving him the financial flexibility to focus on doing more things with his family. Hernandez wants people to know that you need to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to succeed and grow.