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Public Employee Press
9/11 hero dies
Felix Hernandez is the second ambulance worker
taken by lung disease after life-saving efforts at
the World Trade Center.
By ALFREDO ALVARADO
Emergency Medical Technician Felix Hernandez recently became the second
Local 2507 member to pass away due to a lung-related illness that began
with his brave efforts to save lives at Ground Zero.
Like hundreds of his colleagues from the Emergency Medical Service and
other city agencies, Hernandez answered the call of duty Sept. 11,
2001, to rescue victims of the terrorist attacks. He later returned to
work in the recovery effort amid the smoky, asbestos-laden air of the
WTC site, where he was exposed to toxins believed to have caused the lung
disease that took his life Oct. 23.
Hernandez died at his home in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by family and
friends. He was 31.
After joining the Fire Dept. as an EMT in 1995, he worked in Station 21
at Lincoln Hospital and later at Station 17 in the Bronx.
“Felix was like my little brother,” said EMT Jeanette Otero,
who worked with Hernandez for 10 years. “He insisted on going down
to Ground Zero and helping. That was the kind of person he was, always
thinking of others.”
He was not the first union member whose life was claimed
by the terrorist attacks. EMT Timothy Keller passed away June 23, 2005,
from a heart attack brought on by respiratory illness. He was 41. Paramedic
Carlos Lillo, 37, of Local 2507 and Paramedic Lieutenant Ricardo Quinn,
40, of Local 3621 died in the collapse of the Twin Towers.
Both Keller and Hernandez were non-smokers who developed respiratory illnesses
after working at Ground Zero. At the time of his death Mr. Hernandez was
on medical leave.
According to Robert Ungar, spokesperson and legislative counsel for Local
2507, there are several EMS members with similar health problems. While
the FDNY has declared them unfit for work, the New York City Employees’
Retirement System has denied them disability pensions. “We don’t
think these cases are being handled very well at all,” said Ungar.
“We’ve got people off the job, not because of any great desire
to leave, but because their lung function has deteriorated to the point
where they can’t work. But they aren’t getting disability and
they’re off payroll.”
“Our members have paid the ultimate pricefor
their service to this city,” said Local President Pat Bahnken. “And
we will continue to fight on their behalf to make sure that they get what
they deserve.”
Congress
okays $125 million in WTC health care funds
As part of
an emergency appropriations bill, Congressional leaders have given
the green light to $125 million in funds for health care and medical
monitoring of the 9/11 rescue and recovery workers.
As PEP went to press, it appeared likely that the funding —
rescinded by President Bush’s Congressional allies during
the summer — would be restored and made available to the
city, possibly as soon as January.
When Congress canceled the funds, DC 37 Safety and Health Dept.
Director Lee Clarke launched an emergency lobbying effort that
brought the powerful personal testimony of city workers to Washington,
D.C. A contingent of unions and health care advocates, including
DC 37 members, the New York Committee on Occupational Safety and
Health, other city unions and the national AFL-CIO spoke at a
July 21 hearing.
Their voices and their stories were heard, as U.S. Sen. Hillary
Clinton introduced an amendment to restore the funding and U.S.
Rep. Vito Fossella reached an agreement with House Speaker Dennis
Hastert to restore the funds. In a letter to Fossella, Hastert
noted that, “Our ongoing discussions concerning the rescission
of $125 million in federal funding for New York has highlighted
the obvious need. I want to give you my full assurance that we
will provide this money to New York this year.”
Congress was set to include the funding in an emergency appropriations
bill for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts that was targeted
to be passed and sent to Bush in December. Because of its bipartisan
support, the president was expected to sign the legislation.
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