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This is only a test. Right? Right.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and some other guy

 

Unless, by some horrific coincidence, something really bad happens at the same time.  Then we're screwed,

Wednesday at 2pm ET, in partnership with the FCC and local and national broadcasters, FEMA is participating in a national test of the Emergency Alert System.  This will be the first nationwide test and will involve broadcast radio and television stations, cable television, satellite radio and television services and wireline video service providers across all states and the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa.

The test will not involve other communication devices such as the Internet, LAN and mobile telephones. No other communications networks or devices will be impacted by the test, meaning that people will be able to continue use their cell phones, the internet and other communications channels during the test. There will be no disruption of those services.

Here’s the rub: some TV stations across the country may not have the ability to change the text seen on screens within their viewing area to read “This is only a test”.  They will only have a voice saying it’s just a test.  This is a limitation of the old system.  Sight- and hearing-impaired citizens may be alarmed by what they may think is an actual emergency.

FEMA and the FCC are actively developing a new system which would address this and other issues, including those which may affect disabled people.

FEMA is trying to spread the word to those persons who may be alarmed by what they may think is an actual emergency.  If you know anyone who may be affected by this limitation, please let them know that this is only a test.

As the nationwide test takes place, this is an excellent opportunity to take a quick look at your personal disaster plan.  What actions would you take in the event of a true emergency?  Are you prepared to move quickly with the items you’ll need should you be directed to do so?  Alternatively, are you prepared to shelter in place (SIP) for a period of 3-6 days?  What items would you really wish you had that you could lay hands on now BEFORE the event? 

Check out www.Ready.gov for useful information on how to ready yourself and your family (not ‘if’ but) when the next emergency surprises you!

So don't worry when the test occurs.  It should be only about 30 seconds, then Maury will be right back with the DNA findings and lie detector results…

Posted in News, Pub Ed, Technology & Communications, Videos

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Posted by on November 8, 2011 • 1 comment

343. Never Forget? We Already Did.

343.

We have this number stuck in our heads.  Obviously, it represents the number of firefighters lost at the World Trade Center on 9/11 when our country- indeed, our Brothers- were attacked by terrorists from the Middle East.

We read 343 names. 

We ring a bell 343 times. 

We get a 343 sticker for our helmet or a bumper sticker or window decal that simply says 343. 

T-shirts, tattoos, you name it- we solemnly pay tribute to the 343.

We’re Brothers.  That’s what we do.

343.

This week, I heard alot of "343", and "Never Forget."  Yet, not once on this, the tenth anniversary of 9/11, did I hear a “Brother” give any attention to the number of FDNY Brothers and Sisters who have continued to die from the 9/11 attack. 

What?  There were more?

You know, the Brothers and Sisters who worked up to 16-hour shifts for weeks on “The Pile” breathing in a toxic cloud of plastic, jet fuel, and human body parts.

Any guesses at that number?  My bet is that you have no clue.

Nope, it’s not 343. 

Actually, it just eclipsed 343.  That’s right- we’ve lost another 343+.  And my bet is we’ll be losing another 343 soon as well.

We won’t be seeing their names carved on a granite wall, will we?

343.  It’s a snapshot in time, but far from the reality of the number of firefighters lost from the attack at the WTC on 9/11.

Stay tuned, and I’ll continue this story and help you “Brothers” to understand why we should remember that 343 is just a number.  And I'll tell you how to be a true Brother beyond just latching onto the hype of the number 343.

Stay stoked.

Posted in Brotherhood, Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, News, WTF?

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Posted by on September 12, 2011 • 9 comments

Here’s my rant on “Never Forget”. I hope it pisses you off.

Click here to listen to my ranr as I gave it on this week's Firefighter Netcast program

It’s been 10 years since the horror.  How are you remembering?

We see the networks ramp up their coverage of the tragedy with all the videos seen and various fire entities do their best to commemorate the lives of the three thousand taken that day- including 343 of our nation’s finest.

We’re remembering by hearing stories of individual lives lost and those left behind, by attending local tributes, by ringing bells, by running stairs, by wearing bracelets, by carrying photos around our necks and in our helmets, by wearing t-shirts admonishing us to “never forget,” by getting misty at the piper’s playing of Amazing Grace and the mournful notes of a bugler signaling Taps.

It’s the national response to an American tragedy with millions of Americans remembering/commemorating/memorializing- each in their own way.  It’s the way we do things.  We pause, we remember, and we move on.

Is it enough, Brother?  Hell no, it’s not.

Why are our Brothers and Sisters STILL waging a war to obtain benefits from the long-term effects of their heroic actions working “The Pile” in the hours, days, and weeks that followed?

The same government that told them- within days- that The Pile’s environment was “safe” to work in is STILL denying that the cancer ravaging their bodies is connected in any way.  Our Brothers and Sisters are being told that enough time hasn’t past to make that determination. 

How does this make you feel? 

The only reason I ask is that I’m not hearing much from any of you out there whenever these stories of how we are being treated bubble up to the surface.. 

This treatment of the “other heroes” of the days and weeks that followed the deaths of the 343 is ludicrous and they deserve much better than this.

This is pure crap and it pisses me off.  Where is your outrage?

Howabaout the unconscionable lack of progress made in one of the findings of the 9/11 commission wherein police and firefighters are STILL unable to communicate with each other when (not if) the next attack occurs?  Ten years later!

Again, How does this make you feel?  Again, I ask is that because I’m still hearing crickets as these stories get reported.

This is pure crap and it pisses me off.  Where is your outrage?

As we pause to remember the brave folks who gave their lives at The World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and in Shanksville, please- don’t forget so many of the others who are still suffering today from working the pile, and those who will suffer in the future because we have –to date- STILL FAILED to do everything we can to help us meet the challenges from the next attack.

So, go ahead and buy the t-shirt.  Wear the bracelet.  Climb the stairs with or without gear.  Put the stickers on your truck bumper and make your helmets look cool.

But I dare you to be outraged and to do more.  Do what the fallen would want you to do.  Make yourself heard whenever you feel that they would want you to do so.

Don’t forget – NEVER FORGET- that the attacks on America and indeed- America’s fire service continue to this very day. 

Never forget that.

 

Stay stoked, my friends.

-J

Posted in Brotherhood, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, Major Incidents, NetCast, Never Forget, News, WTF?

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Posted by on September 8, 2011 • 1 comment

It’s only been ten years. What’s the rush?

In just a few weeks, our country will “come together” to memorialize the thousands of Americans murdered ten years ago at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, including 343 brave and courageous firefighters.

I envision that at some point, we will all pause and bow our heads, say a prayer, and otherwise honor the memories of the bravery exemplified on that horrific day as hundreds of firefighters committed their lives to the rescue of those trapped in each of the twin towers.

Of course, we all know what happened.  The towers collapsed, and thousands lost their lives.  But many of the rescuers who survived the initial collapse needed rescuing themselves.  Amid acrid and unhealthy conditions, thousands took up that challenge, and stepped up to perform those rescues.

The toxic swirl that engulfed lower Manhattan after the attacks included known carcinogens. Many workers, relying upon government assurances that the air in lower Manhattan was safe, took few precautions or none whatsoever.

In the time since, many have been stricken by leukemia, thyroid, blood, brain and other cancers. Worker-advocacy groups, and doctors who have treated many first-responders, tie the cancers to exposure to the toxic dust and debris at the WTC site.

Questions on the air quality at Ground Zero were posed by rescuers almost immediately.  We urgently checked with our experts in the government, asking that, with all the lead, asbestos and other known carcinogens in “the pile” was it safe for anyone to be searching without adequate respiratory protection?

While we were smart enough to pose the question, were we dumb enough to believe the answer?

Many remember the smiling EPA Administrator looking directly into the camera to reassure the country as thousands continued their frantic searches.

“The concentrations of (asbestos and lead) are such that they don’t pose a health hazard.  We’re going to make sure everybody’s safe.”  -Christine Todd Whitman, Bush Administration EPA Administrator (2001-2003)

Today, the sad reality is that cancer has stricken hundreds of police, firefighters and volunteers who spent hours, days and months searching "the pile" at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan – first in a rescue mission after the Sept. 11 attacks, then as part of the recovery operation.

This week, despite this “anecdotal” evidence to the contrary, a review by NIOSH determined there exists too little scientific evidence linking cancer to time spent amid the dust and wreckage at Ground Zero.  Cited in the failure to link was “a lack of research.”

That means, for now, cancer victims do not qualify for compensation and treatment under the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

Don’t worry, though.  More research will take place and, if the findings change, those sick and dying might be able to apply for benefits at that time.  The deadline will be September of 2013, unless new links are found.  Then the application deadline could be extended even further.

The message now to the sick and dying is “hang in there”.

After all, it’s only been ten years.  What’s the rush?

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Never Forget, News, Videos, WTF?

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Posted by on July 28, 2011 • 2 comments

“Taking Up” debuts online Wednesday!

"You can do everything right in this job and still get killed" – Paddy Brown, Captain Ladder 3 – lost 09/11/01

Wednesday night, the Firefighter Netcast family grows once again as John and Rhett welcome the newest member of the Firefighter Netcast family, Lieutenant David LeBlanc, from East Harwich, MA.

His new program is called “Taking Up”- reflections on the right, the wrong, and the why.  In each program, Dave will facilitate commentary about today’s Fire Service, training and techniques. We’ll be focusing on keeping our members safe while adhering to the principals of our Profession. 

Dave is not a stranger to Firefighter Netcast, having been a contributor and guest several times over the last year.  Indeed, he has made a great impression on us all. He is also a contributor to Backstep Firefighter over at Fire EMS Blogs as well as many other sites..

Through his writings and appearances on the show, one thing becomes glaringly clear:  Dave LeBlanc is passionate about the fire service.  He is never afraid to voice his opinion, yet can always be counted on to respect those who differ with him.

This is exactly the type of discussion Firefighter Netcast is looking to create- that banter back and forth around the station’s kitchen table, or as we jaw around the back step of the apparatus.

Dave LeBlanc began in the Fire Service in 1986.  He was a Call Firefighter for the Dennis Fire Department and a Volunteer for both the West Haven Fire Department and the Allingtown Fire Department in West Haven, Connecticut.  He has a Bachelors degree in Arson Investigation from the University of New Haven.  

In 1993 he started working full time for Harwich Fire Department in Massachusetts as a Fire Alarm Operator.  He became a Firefighter in 2000.  He is currently a Lieutenant assigned to Harwich Station 2 in East Harwich, MA.  Now, he brings his experience, his ideas, and his flavor to Firefighter Netcast.

So, join us live on Wednesday night, April 6 at 9pm ET for the premiere of “Taking Up”, or visit FirefighterNetcast.com to download this and every other show for listening at your leisure.

Firefighter Netcast- this ain’t your Daddy’s fire service radio podcast…..

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, NetCast, News, Tradition, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by on April 5, 2011 • No comments

We should be ashamed of ourselves.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Lame-as-F@#k Congress
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First responders and their families loaded buses Tuesday and went to Washington to implore our government to end the stalling and do what’s right- Pass the damn bill already.

As if on cue, news just in hours ago that Republican Senator Tom Coburn, from Oklahoma, has vowed he will block the Senate leadership from bringing up the vote once again by Christmas.

“Mr. Coburn wants the package to be funded through spending cuts, the aide said. He and others in his party have questioned whether the money would overlap with workers’ compensation and other aid provided to Sept. 11 first responders.”

I see.

So, we’re done being on vacation during the tax bill which cost nearly a trillion and we should start shouting again about 6.2 billion?

Got it.  We’re all back to worrying about the deficit. As long as everyone tells me when to put on my three-cornered hat and brew up some tea, I won’t be forced to think for myself. I’ll just let these “leaders” do my thinking for me.

Merry frickin’ Christmas, Senator Coburn.  Do what you think is right are instructed to do.

Where is our outrage on Congress’ failure to pass the Zadroga Bill?

Why should it take nine years for us to act when our fellow brothers and sisters took less than 9 seconds to react and do what we do best?

Day by day, month by month, year by year, 36,000 American heroes we so lovingly call our brothers and sisters, are slowly dying from the effects of the tainted atmosphere at Ground Zero

The same government that told them the air was safe to work in is still denying benefits that would help save their lives.

Where is our outrage?

Why aren’t we just as furious as this Congressman?

Brothers? Sisters?

No one deserves a “family” that lets this inhuman insanity happen to their loved ones.

We get the government we deserve.  WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT.

We should be ashamed of ourselves.

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Videos, WTF?

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Posted by on December 22, 2010 • No comments

Sending love. Literally.

I had originally planned to remain silent today, letting others share their thoughts on this special day.  But as I began to peruse some of the rhetoric being shared by a few (thankfully) that still are filled with hatred and venom, I began to think about love vs. hate and the role it plays in my life.

The accelerating growth of Firefighter Netcast has brought me away from my family more this year than at any other time in recent memory.  We have been in many different places in just a few short months.  We have been fortunate and honored to meet some very interesting people, and have generated relationships that are sure to endure for years to come.

Being away from home has affected my youngest daughter as well.  We have attempted to bridge the miles with video phone calls on a nightly basis, no matter where we are.

But I want to relate an interesting development that has come about in the relationship between us.  We have come to recognize a very interesting way of “sending our love”.

This revelation came about during a phone call while I was away in Baltimore this summer.  My daughter asked me if I had “felt an overwhelming sense of love” from her at about 9:00 that morning.  I initially smiled and wanted to instantly respond with a “yes, of course I did, sweetheart.”  But I paused, and tried to remember what I was doing at 9:00.

Astounded, I realized that I had been thinking about how far she had come in spite of the rough start she had when she was born.  You see, she was born at only 25 weeks, critically ill from a fetal infection, certain to die if left in the uterus, almost as certain to perish if taken out so early.  It was the most agonizing time of our lives.

I vividly recall watching helplessly, transfixed at the heroic efforts to intubate her tiny purple body and give her life.  Lungs just dried paper-like sacs, not lubricated enough to expand.  Staff traded places each taking a shot at tubing my little girl, then stepping aside to let the next person give it a go, shaking their heads at their failures.  Seconds turned to minutes. It reminded me of some of the difficult tubes we encountered in the field.

Daddy and Lexi kangaroo, sharing love

Me and Lexi exchanging love, kangaroo-style.

But this was different.  This was my little girl.

I prayed harder than I had ever prayed before.  But beyond that, I felt a sensation, one which I will have difficulty describing here.  At that moment, there rose a powerful and palpable physical sensation in my torso, as if I were transmitting emotion straight to my helpless newborn.  Crazy at it sounds, I felt as if I were “sending love” in an unspoken, non-tactile method.  It was the first time thus had ever happened, but I remember it as clear as day, and will never forget it.  I never spoke of it to anyone then or since.  But the feeling has been a part of my life regularly from that moment on.

Remember the news story out of Australia last week about a baby born at 27 weeks?  After hospital staff tried to resuscitate the child for 20 minutes they gave the parents the heartbreaking news that their little boy had died. But his mother placed the baby on her chest (just as we did ours) and used the kangaroo method, which involves skin-to-skin contact between mother and child. She remained in that position for two hours and soon the infant’s gasps became more regular and, after a while, he opened his eyes.

Sent love?

Certainly, this all could have a very reasonable explanation.  The feeling I experienced in the NICU may have been an intense physical reaction to fear; the feeling my daughter had at 9:00 could have been coincidental.  But I am certain it was all real.

Why am I telling this to you?  Because I want you to know that is is possible.  I want you to consider that you can also “send love”.

Literally.

On the day in which we remember so many lost souls- brothers and sisters who gave their lives in the service to others- why not try open your hearts in a new and powerful way to send them love.

Concentrate on them.

Concentrate on their wives, their husbands, their mothers and fathers, their brothers, and their sisters.

Try to visualize their children, now nine years later, having grown up a bit more in the absence of their magnificent parent.

Then send them love.

Posted in Never Forget

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Posted by on September 11, 2010 • 5 comments

It’s Time.

From Michael McAuliff of the New York Daily News

First responders and Ground Zero workers are pleased Khalid Shaikh Mohammed is headed to New York to face justice – but they hope to win a different kind of justice of their own.

“Eight years later they finally bring the terrorists to New York and eight years later we’re still waiting for help” treating 9/11-related illnesses, said John Feal.  “It doesn’t equate,” added Feal, who heads the FealGood Foundation, devoted to raising awareness about the health crisis. He and busloads of survivors and victims held a rally Wednesday in Washington.

The FealGood Foundation holds a press conference earlier this year at the scene of the 9/11 attacks (photo by Schwartz for News)

They’re demanding Congress act on legislation named after James Zadroga, an NYPD officer who died from his exposure to Ground Zero. The proposal would spend about $8 billion to reopen the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation fund to care for the illnesses suffered by the responding heroes.

“I’m going to be focused on getting that bill passed,” said Glen Klein, a former NYPD Emergency Service Unit officer who spent 700 hours at Ground Zero. “It’s time.”

It’s the same two words Jim Ryan wanted to tell Congress Wednesday hoping to join hundreds of his fellow Sept. 11 responders on their journey to Capitol Hill. But he couldn’t make it.

He’s dying himself.

“I was a 46-year-old firefighter, working at my job in April 2006,” said the husband and father of two teenage boys and a 9-year-old daughter. His doctor thought he had gallstones, but it was pancreatic cancer, a deadly illness more common in older men. The fire department eventually agreed the cancer was from 9/11, and he retired.

He beat it once.

Then came the relapse last November – and more treatments. His doctor can’t do any more.

“They just determined last week it wasn’t working. As of right now, I’m not on anything. At this point, I’m just seeking second opinions,” Ryan said.  He doesn’t want to ask how much time he has left.

“I don’t believe in deadlines,” he said.

But he wanted to do what he could to push Congress to pass the $8 billion measure. It would reopen the Sept. 11 victims’ compensation fund and provide for the families of the ill and dying.

So Tuesday night he packed some gear in the car of his friend and fellow firefighter, Keith Palumbo, and went to the Engine Co. 320/Ladder 167 firehouse in Flushing for a party that Palumbo arranged so Ryan’s department brothers could see him again before it was too late.

“It was overwhelming,” Ryan said.

But he got violently ill, and it was obvious to his friends that Ryan, who’s lost 50 pounds to his illness, couldn’t make the trip to Washington.

“Keith, he took my bag out of his car and he said, ‘You’re not going.’ He said, ‘You can’t, you’re not physically able to,’” Ryan recalled.

It’s almost the way he felt about the months he spent digging through the voids in the wreckage of the twin towers, searching for the fallen. He tried to explain it to his wife, Magda, when she asked why he wanted to swim in that toxic devastation for so long.

“I told her I don’t. It’s the last place in the world I want to be, but right now, and it’s kind of hard to put it in words, but right now it’s the only place in the world I want be,” Ryan remembered.

There was no internal conflict about going to Washington Wednesday, except that he couldn’t.

“I felt horrible because it’s not only about me,” he said. “It’s about all the guys who are going to come after me, and there’s going to be plenty of them. … I don’t think you’ve even seen the tip of the iceberg yet.”

Ryan and the other advocates say they’ve received assurances that Congress would act this fall. But sources told the Daily News that the battle to overhaul the nation’s health care system comes first – a fight that could extend into next year. Feal said rally goers intend to take their message straight to lawmakers.

“We’re taking three teams into each congressional [office] building,” Feal said Wednesday. “I’m storming the Capitol.”

The Zadroga Act is sitting in Congress, held hostage by the health care reform debate. The House version is all but ready to go. The Senate’s has yet to be discussed in a committee hearing.

Palumbo and others carried the message for Ryan, visiting lawmakers in their black turnout coats. He hopes legislators heard it.

“We’ve got eight guys in the firehouse who have cancer,” Palumbo said after walking the halls of Congress, knocking on doors.

“Hopefully, we prodded them with our tale.”

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, Never Forget, News

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Posted by on November 20, 2009 • No comments

360 Burn Size-Up of the Fire Web 11/13/2009

Making Due

Fire destroyed a convenience store/gas station business in Oakes, ND last Tuesday night, but the underground storage tanks and gas pumps were not damaged, according to news reports. Several firefighters and apparatus responded and worked for hours to contain and suppress the fire.

Water tenders were supplemented by two cement trucks full of water sent by two businesses in Oakes.

“On a service station fire you definitely handle things differently,” said Randy Burley, Oakes Fire Department Chief.

Breathing Toxins vs. Religious Discrimination

In an EEOC complaint citing Title VII, three Orthodox Jewish medics have charged the Pikesville Volunteer (MD) Fire Company with religious discrimination, alleging they were barred from responding to calls unless they shaved their beards. They further allege the fire company is retaliating for their membership in Hatzalah, an emergency response organization made of mostly of Orthodox Jews in northwest Baltimore. Apparently the Hatzalah beats the Pikesville Volunteers to some scenes which has caused friction between the groups.

Citing the Baltimore County Fire Department SOP’s, a lawyer for the fire company pointed to a regulation allowing for mustaches and sideburns “only if they do not interfere with the proper seal of a breathing apparatus face piece.” Fire officers have been instructed to keep bearded responders off the apparatus.

See the full report from Yeshiva World News

Looking For Love in All the Wrong Places

Armed only with a cell phone and a need, police say 29-year-old Joshua Basso found himself between a rock and a hard place.

After running out of cell phone minutes and still looking for sex, 911 was the only number this Tampa, Florida man was left to dial. Police say he called several times requesting permission from the 911 operator to come to her house.

Instead, police came to his house and gave him a ride to their house.

Posted in 360 Burn, News

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Posted by on November 13, 2009 • No comments

Warship USS New York Arrives- Built With WTC Steel

From the BBC

click here for video

uss new yorkA warship built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center has arrived in New York City.

The USS New York sailed up the Hudson River to near Ground Zero, where it fired a 21-gun salute in tribute to those killed in the 2001 attacks.

It was watched by relatives of 9/11 victims, along with members of the emergency services and the public.

The US Navy is to hold an official commissioning ceremony for the new warship on Saturday.

The New York set off on its maiden voyage from Louisiana, where it was built, nearly three weeks ago.

The bow of the boat contains 7.5 tonnes of melted steel from the fallen buildings of the World Trade Center.

The ship’s crest includes images of the Twin Towers and features the colours of the city departments that first responded to the terrorist attacks in which nearly 3,000 people died.

‘A transformation’

People gathered by the waterfront to watch the ship’s 21-gun salute honouring those who died in the 11 September attacks.

The crew stood to attention along the deck as the guns were fired.

Representatives of New York's police and fire departments and US military, 2 Nov

Among those watching was JoAnn Atlas, who lost her firefighter husband in the attacks.

“We have to remember. It’s a way to honour them,” she told the Associated Press news agency.

Rosaleen Tallon, whose firefighter brother was among those killed, said she was pleased that the steel from the towers had been reused in the ship.

“It’s a transformation of it from something really twisted and ugly,” she told AP. “I’m proud that our military is using that steel.”

About one in seven of the 361 sailors serving on the ship are from New York state, a higher percentage than would normally be the case, a Navy spokeswoman told AP.

She said there had been many requests from Navy personnel to serve on the ship.

click here for video

Posted in In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Never Forget, News

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Posted by on November 2, 2009 • 1 comment

Perfect End to the Sunday Ride

Having seen many gorgeous examples of Harley tank art, this ranks right up there.  Read more on this beauty here

911 harley tank

Posted in Never Forget

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Posted by on September 20, 2009 • 2 comments

9/11 and the Forgotten (The Secret List)

From www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

Thursday, September 10, 2009 

-Hey,
8 years ago.
When we recall the World Trade Center attack, the  Pentagon attack and the hi-jacked crash in Pennsylvania on the anniversary of Sept. 11, we get angry. Or we should. If we don’t, that’s a real problem.

So first and foremost, we take time to remember all those murdered on 9/11 along with the Firefighters, Police Officers and EMS Members murdered in the Line of Duty.

We also take time to remember those who survived and those who are survivors of those murdered.

There is also a group of THOUSANDS of Firefighters, Police Officers and EMS Members who live 9/11 every day. Most who it seems, have been forgotten. They along with other support workers, are suffering from major upper respiratory illnesses, some of them life threatening, that were contracted from inhaling the air at Ground Zero. It started with the first arriving company, police officer and EMT and continues today.

For me, I will NEVER FORGET the statements by "officials" claiming there was no harm being caused to those breathing the fumes. Elected and appointed idiots who think that we would believe their crap.

Incredible.

What’s more incredible is that they were believed by the clueless majority-and those who might have to write checks or actually TAKE responsibility. WTF?!

For now, responders receive federally funded monitoring and treatment, but this "system" is in a precarious situation. Funds are allotted annually, and next years funding could be cut or not granted at all, leaving many ill responders with nothing. Nothing. Congress is also considering a bill that would establish permanent Federal funding for 9/11 medical monitoring and treatment, giving workers and lower Manhattan residents some long-term health resources. Without that, some may have nothing.

Congress needs to be held to the fire in TAKING CARE of those who responded, gave their lives-or are GIVING their lives in helping others. Ask your member of Congress where they are on the issue?

The James Zadroga Act, named for an NYPD Detective who died as a result of illnesses contracted while operating at Ground Zero, has support in both houses of Congress from the New York and New Jersey delegations and lobbying muscle from the unions, but it appears to inspire little action from other lawmakers. It seems that some feel that it’s a NY and NJ problem, not "their" problem.

What happened to 9/11 being an AMERICAN PROBLEM?

Make the call. Find out where YOUR elected officials are and what they are doing-and will do..

You’ll also LOVE the fact that the bill has also lost some of its supporters from last year; it was shelved in October when Congress turned its attention to a $700-billion bailout package for Wall Street.

How’d that work out? We’re just say’n.

If you are interested in the politics of this, GOOGLE the "9/11 Health" and you’ll find plenty. I know there is ALOT to this issue and to some it is VERY complicated. But sadly, it reminds me of how we treat many war veterans and now, 9/11 survivors, and those who are dying a slow death-as they too were attacked on 9/11/01. They just didn’t die soon enough for the politicians.

As far as we are concerned, we just wanted to remind all of The Secret List members that NEVER FORGETTING, as Rick L says, means NEVER FORGETTING. And as a part of that, it means never forgetting:
- who attacked us.
- why they attacked us.
- who gave their lives that day.
- who continues to suffer each and every day.
- and who, amongst all of our members of Congress and Senate actually care enough to support them.

There is a clear moral obligation on the part of the Federal Government to take care of all those genuinely affected by 9/11, both physically and mentally.  8 years later-how are your local Federally elected officials responding?

Ask’em.

Take Care,
BillyG
The Secret List 9/10/09
www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

Posted in Brotherhood, Firefighters, Never Forget, WTF?

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Posted by on September 11, 2009 • No comments