The New York City Fire Department says the number of its first responders who died from 9/11-related illnesses exceeded the number of FDNY members who died on the day of the terrorist attacks.
The announcement was made earlier this month at a ceremony at the Ministry’s headquarters in Brooklyn to honor the lives lost.
“As we do every year, we will remember the 343 members who died that day and take solace in knowing that those insurmountable losses did not end at the site of the World Trade Center,” said Fire Commissioner Robert S. Tucker. Instead, we saw our members get sick because of the time they spent working on rescue and recovery.”
On 11.09.2001, the firefighters
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During a September 4 memorial ceremony, the FDNY added 32 additional names to the World Trade Center Memorial Wall. In total, there are now 363 members who have died from illnesses related to their work in rescue and recovery efforts. Twenty-eight of those deaths occurred over the past year, according to the FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association.
“Our list of heroes grows every year,” said Acting FDNY Chief John Esposito. “In 2001, they knew they had a job to do and were selfless in their commitment. They didn’t think of themselves as they ran toward danger. They upheld the best traditions of this Department—courage, honor and the call to serve.”
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Experts stress that cancer and other diseases tend to appear at a much earlier age for people in the 9/11 community, and are often more aggressive. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other advocates are calling for more funding and support for 9/11 first responders through the WTC Health Care Program.
The WTC health program was established by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. In 2015, it was reauthorized through 2090.
The program — which includes more than 132,000 responders and survivors — offers medical monitoring and treatment for 60 different types of cancer and other conditions, including a myriad of respiratory disorders.
“We owe them a debt and we have to meet it,” Schumer said.
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Source: HIS Education