Eleven people who worked in rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have died in the six weeks since the most recent anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Another Ground Zero worker, Roy McLaughlin, died Sept. 10, one day before the anniversary. McLaughlin, 38, was a Yonkers police officer when the World Trade Center was attacked. Later promoted to a lieutenant, the married father of four young children was diagnosed with brain cancer five years ago.
The 12 recent deaths add a sense of urgency to efforts to renew legislation that provided medical care to rescue workers and other first responders who became ill as a result of their work at Ground Zero, advocates say. That legislation, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, expired Sept. 30.
All told, more than 1,700 people have died from 9/11-related illnesses, according to John Feal, a former demolition supervisor from eastern Long Island who has lobbied lawmakers to reauthorize the Ground Zero health legislation.
One of the law's key components, the World Trade Center Health Program, has enough money to continue operating until March or April. Without action by Congress, the program will begin notifying patients in January that they will lose services, Feal said.