New York FDNY firefighters urge Congress to fund long-term care for 9/11-related illnesses

As the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, New York City firefighters are making what they hope will be their final request to Congress to provide long-term funding for health care for first responders suffering from illnesses resulting from the toxic exposure at Ground Zero.

Union leaders revealed startling statistics at a news conference in Manhattan on Monday. The number of FDNY members who have died from 9/11-related illnesses has reached 370, surpassing for the first time the number of 343 firefighters killed on the day of the attacks.

Last year alone, 28 firefighters died from illnesses related to September 11.

“We pray that 9/11 has claimed its last victim, but unfortunately we know that is not the case,” said Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association. “Every month we bury three or four more FDNY members and we fear the number will continue to rise.”

The World Trade Center Health Program has provided critical support to ill first responders, but funding for the program will expire by 2028 unless Congress intervenes. Currently, more than 130,000 people – including FDNY members, NYPD officers and volunteers – are enrolled and receiving treatment in the program.

“Behind these numbers are real people who are suffering,” said Jim Brosi, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, adding that many firefighters “are alive but not really living” because of their debilitating condition.

Brosi pointed to thyroid and esophageal cancer as just some of the life-changing diseases that affect many people, some of whom have lost their voice or ability to swallow. “Our members are dealing with life-changing conditions and the cost of treatment is constantly rising,” he said.

The proposed 9/11 Responders and Survivors Health Funding Correction Act would extend funding through 2090 to ensure that no first responder or survivor is denied care.

For firefighters, this plea to Congress is nothing new. Since 2010, they have traveled to Capitol Hill five times, each time fighting for another funding extension. Despite promises that earlier funding would be sufficient, the number of cancer diagnoses has far exceeded expectations.

“Every time we go to Washington, it's never fully funded,” Ansbro said. “It's always a piece and they leave something on the table. We're demanding that everything be completed and fully funded so we don't have to come back again.”

“Those of us who are not yet sick are wondering if the resources will still be there when we get sick,” he added.

Life-saving new medical advances come at a high cost, increasing the need for long-term financial support.

“Every time a new drug comes onto the market, it is much more expensive than what is already on the market,” Brosi said.

The FDNY continues to remember its fallen members. Last week, 32 more names were added to the FDNY Memorial Wall at the department's headquarters in Brooklyn's MetroTech Center. The wall, which has space for 960 names, could eventually be full if the current death rate continues.

“The further back this tragedy is, the less people will understand the hardship,” said Brosi. “We must not allow this to be forgotten. Our members sacrificed their health for others and they deserve to be taken care of.”

Originally published: September 9, 2024 at 16:24