Excerpts from cbsnews.com:
The Ray Pfeifer Foundation confirmed on Twitter Wednesday that two more New York City firefighters have died due to “9/11 illness,” marking the 199th, and 200th FDNY deaths related to the World Trade Center attacks. Retired FDNY Captain Dennis Gilhooly of Engine Company 67, and retired Firefighter Brian Casse of Engine Company 294, both died.
The Ray Pfeifer Foundation was established in memory of an FDNY firefighter who died on May 28, 2017 from cancer related to 9/11. He was a leading force in lobbying to extend the Zadroga Act through 2090, ensuring health care coverage for 75,000 people who need, or will need, treatment for health conditions developed as a direct result of 9/11 exposure.
In March 2018, the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York reported that more than 170 firefighters had died as the result of illnesses related to the World Trade Center attacks. More than 50,000 people have illnesses linked to their exposure to toxins that were released after the towers collapsed.
Scientific evidence linking the attacks to cancer is still unsettled. Researchers studying illnesses among people exposed to the 9/11 dust cloud have found an unusual number of deaths from brain malignancies and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but fewer deaths than expected from other types of cancer.
Securing federal funding for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which covers medical treatment for 9/11 emergency personnel, has been a battle.
Luis Alvarez, a former New York City police detective who publicly fought for the fund, including an appearance in front of Congress near the end of his battle with colorectal cancer, died in June. He was 53.
In July, President Trump signed the “Never Forget the Heroes Act,” extending the compensation fund through 2092, and securing an additional $10.2 billion in payments over the next 10 years.
