Union: WTC Work Sickens Firefighters

ByABC News
December 24, 2001, 1:20 PM

— -- The firefighters union says many of its members working at Ground Zero are coming down with debilitating illnesses; entertainment companies are providing gifts for victims of Sept. 11; Dear Abby and the Navy are teaming up on a Web site; and a man is accused of lying to jail two Middle Eastern men.

Hundreds of Firefighters Said to Be Ill

N E W Y O R K, Dec. 21 Hundreds of firefighters who worked at the World Trade Center site in have developed respiratory problems, and some may have to retire, a fire union official said.

Thomas Manley, sergeant-at-arms for the Uniformed Firefighters Association, said Thursday that many who participated in rescue and recovery efforts are easily winded, suffer from a chronic cough, or have symptoms of asthma.

Manley estimated that as many as 300 who are on medical leave with lung problems could be unable to continue to fight fires if their health does not improve.

Fire Department spokesman Francis Gribbon said it is too early to predict the health implications for firefighters who have had respiratory symptoms.

"We won't know for some time what the short- and long-term effects will be," Gribbon said. "But we are being very aggressive in not only treating people but in tracking their progress,"

The Fire Department began health screenings for firefighters in late October, conducting lung function exams, chest X-rays, hearing tests and blood work.

More than 1,000 firefighters have filed notices to protect their right to sue the city over inadequate protection from dangerous materials at the trade center site.

The Associated Press

Sept. 11 Victims Get Gift of Entertainment

N E W Y O R K, Dec. 21 More than 100 entertainment organizations, including sports teams, museums and theaters, have banded together to offer free admission to the families of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"If we can advance the healing process for the families of the victims even for a few hours by making these facilities freely available to them, then we've done something that is good for all of us," said Andrew Tisch, chairman of the executive committee of Loews Corp.