FDNY unions to address 9/11 health concerns after NYC releases new air quality documents
Newly released documents are raising tough questions about what first responders were told about the air they were breathing after the 9/11 attacks.
Leaders of the FDNY's firefighter and fire officer unions will stand alongside first responders Wednesday to address what they call a continuing health emergency.
Fire officials say 343 FDNY members were killed on 9/11, and since then, 453 members have died from 9/11-related illnesses. More than 12,000 members have also been diagnosed with at least one World Trade Center-related illness, according to the World Trade Center Health Program.
Both union presidents who are expected to speak at 10 a.m. are Ground Zero responders.
The response comes after the release of more than 170,000 pages of records related to the air quality following the attacks. The documents include reports showing evidence of asbestos months after 9/11 and internal discussions about the city's potential liability from toxic exposure.
The documents were stored in 68 boxes at City Hall that officials say were only discovered last year. The release came as part of a settlement with advocates who sued to make them public.
"People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air," said Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
For one Lower Manhattan resident, the announcement didn't come as a surprise.
"Anyone would know it was bad. You could smell it and see it," said Marty Lipowitz. "Am I angry? Yeah, but again, tell me something I don't know."
As part of the settlement, the city will appoint staff to help eligible New Yorkers use these records to prove they were in the exposure zone, which could help them access victim compensation.
