September 11 attacks: First responder deaths from post-9/11 illnesses equal the number of firefighters who died that day

CNN
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Number of first responders Died of 9/11 related illnesses Now the number of firefighters killed during terrorist attacks is almost equal.

A total of 341 New York City Fire Department firefighters, paramedics and civilian aid workers died. Post-911 Illnesses According to the Uniformed Firefighters Association, the FDNY is now commemorated on the World Trade Center Memorial Wall.

The memorial commemorates first responders who died during the attacks and those who died from related illnesses over the years.

That number is almost equal 343 New York firefighters died during the 2001 attack.

The fire department added 43 names to the memorial on September 6. According to a news release.

“As we approach the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, the FDNY continues to feel the impact of that day. Each year, this memorial wall grows as we honor those who gave their lives in service to others,” Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said in the release.

“These brave men and women showed up on the World Trade Center site that day, in the days and months after the attacks, to participate in rescue and recovery efforts. We will never forget them. ”

Exposure to dust at the World Trade Center is bound Increased risk of cardiovascular disease Among the firefighters who responded to the scene. In addition, respiratory disease and Thousands of cancer The diagnosis is linked to toxic pollutants released during the attacks.

Currently more than 71,000 people are registered World Trade Center Health Registry, a longitudinal study seeking to understand the physical and mental health consequences of terrorist attacks. In addition to first responders, the attacks caused lasting health effects on World Trade Center workers, passersby, residents of surrounding buildings, and volunteers who spent time at Ground Zero in the weeks that followed.

Lt. Joseph Brosey was one of dozens of firefighters inducted into the memorial last week. The FDNY veteran died in February after a long battle with lung cancer.

His son, Jim Brosey, said not a day goes by that he doesn’t think about his father.

“We miss him,” he told CNN. “He was always in everything we did.”

Joseph Brosey was at Ground Zero on September 11 and continued to work there “day in and day out,” his son said.

Jim Brosey and his brother Joe were firefighters who worked alongside their father on the day the Twin Towers fell.

The number of first responders who have died from illness related to the attacks “is increasing every year, and my fear is that it will continue to grow,” Brosey said.

Asked about concerns about the effects of the attacks on his health, he said, “I am monitoring my health very closely.”

He added: “I will not live my life worrying.”