Public Employee Press

WTC heroes succumb to 9/11 illnesses

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

The death toll of 9/11 heroes continues to rise. Three members of Uniformed EMTs and Paramedics Local 2507 who were part of the intense rescue effort of Sept. 11, 2001 have died of illnesses connected with breathing the toxic asbestos-laden air at Ground Zero as they fought to save lives.

In recent months, Emergency Medical Service co-workers suffered the loss of Paramedic Scott Houston, a member of the Fire Dept. since 1996 and most recently assigned to the Telemetry Unit Emergency ,Medical Technician Paula Rodriguez, a member of the department since 1995 and until her death an EMS Academy instructor, and EMT Freddy Rosario of Battalion Four in Manhattan.

"Each day our members who were part of the rescue and recovery effort at the World Trade Center have to wake up wondering if they will become sick with one of these illnesses," said Local 2507 President Pat Bahnken.

"The time to pass the Zadroga bill was 10 years ago," he said. The bill would fund health care for 9/11 first responders and others.

EMTs Felix Hernandez and Timothy Keller were the first DC 37 members to succumb to respiratory illnesses they contracted working at the disaster site.

Hernandez, who joined the Fire Dept. in 1995 and worked at Station 21 in Lincoln Hospital and Station 17 in the Bronx, and Keller, whose respiratory disease brought on the heart attack that killed him in 2005, were both nonsmokers.

Four members of DC 37 locals lost their lives when the Twin Towers collapsed on 9/11. The Rev. Mychal F. Judge ("Father Mike") was a Fire Dept. Chaplain and Local 299 member. Paramedic Carlos Lillo from Local 2507 and Paramedic Lieutenant from Local 3621 Ricardo Quinn perished rescuing others. Quinn was not ordered to the scene; he went out of dedication to his lifesaving profession. Off-Track Betting Clerk Chet Louie of Local 2021, had a second job at the Cantor Fitzgerald investment firm in the North Tower.