15 Years Since September 11th 75,000 Firefighters Are Still Ill and Dying Without Hope

FDNY Battalion Chief and Uniformed Firefighters Officers Association President James Lemonda discussed the state of thousands of critically ill and injured New York City firefighters who were exposed to the dangerous mix of toxins at the former WTC site. In addition to the 343 members lost on 9/11, 127 firefighters have lost their lives from Ground Zero related illnesses, including 17 since last year.

15 years since the September 11th attacks, 9/11 survivors are still battling serious health problems. More than 10,000 FDNY WTC members have at least one certified WTC-related health condition, which represents roughly 2/3 of all FDNY WTC first responders

The efforts of the FDNY/UFOA members are vitally important to the 33,000 9/11 first-responders who struggle with serious illnesses and injuries 15 years after planes struck the twin towers in the worst domestic terrorist attack in American history. At least 3,700 responders have been diagnosed with cancers.

2,977 were killed that day. Nearly 75,000 people are being monitored for illnesses, federal data show, as concerns mount of the next wave of 9/11 related diseases, such as those linked to asbestos exposure that develop over several decades.

“It’s the nature of the world that most people have moved on, but the people directly involved with 9/11, for them, twice a day, it’s 9/11. We try not to dwell on it too much but, when the anniversary is coming up, you have to reflect a little bit, and it seems like it’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years.”

Something needs to be done. Maybe instead of raising money to become a president one of the candidates could actually do something.