On Sunday, New York will mark 15 years since nearly 3000 people died on 9/11 - but there's a hidden death roll from the disaster, one that's still rising.
Many of the firefighters who worked at Ground Zero that day - and for months afterwards, to clear the debris - are getting illnesses linked to the toxic fumes they breathed in.
Lorna Shaddick went to meet one of them.
IN: "September 11th..."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:59
AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-arn.mp3
938 LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-938.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-fm4.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-von.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-rnz.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-ziz.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-gen.mp3
UPSOT towers falling, people screaming
September 11th 2001…. As the twin towers tumble, they unleash a toxic dust…covering Lower Manhattan.
UPSOT fire engine
Into that dust rushed hundreds of firefighters.
Ray Pfeiffer was one of them.
SOT - Ray Pfeifer, Former New York Firefighter
TAKE
Now 58 years old, Ray tells me he has stage 4 kidney cancer - and he's had 11 operations since 2009. He's not alone - three times more people have been diagnosed with cancer linked to the attacks in the last two years than in all the previous 13.
SOT - Super: Ray Pfeifer, Former New York Firefighter
TAKE VO
Just a few miles from Ray's house in Long Island, there's a special park - it's the only one in the US dedicated to remembering those 911 first responders who died after their work at ground zero was complete. At the moment there's around 600 names engraved there, with another 100 or so set to be added later in September. And the park's founder John Feal says they won't be the last.
SOT - John Feal, 9/11 Responder and Founder, Fealgood Foundation
TAKE VO
John's a demolition supervisor who lost part of his foot when 8000 pounds of steel fell on top of him during the Ground Zero clean up operation. As well as setting up this memorial, he was instrumental in lobbying Washington to get more government money for people made ill because of their work on 9/11.
SOT - Super: John Feal, 9/11 Responder and Founder, Fealgood Foundation
As of July 2016, the World Trade Centre Health Programme says over a thousand people have died since the attacks, most of whom lived or worked at or near the site. Still, John and Ray insist they're the lucky ones - they're around to spend time with their families, tell their stories - and make sure those who weren't so lucky aren't forgotten. Lorna Shaddick, New York.
Many of the firefighters who worked at Ground Zero that day - and for months afterwards, to clear the debris - are getting illnesses linked to the toxic fumes they breathed in.
Lorna Shaddick went to meet one of them.
IN: "September 11th..."
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:59
AIR: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-air.mp3
ARN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-arn.mp3
938 LIVE: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-938.mp3
FM4: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-fm4.mp3
ICRT: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-icrt.mp3
NIGERIA: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-von.mp3
RNZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-rnz.mp3
VATICAN: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-vat.mp3
ZIZ: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-ziz.mp3
GENERIC: http://www.fsnradionews.com/feeds/0910-911-ls-gen.mp3
UPSOT towers falling, people screaming
September 11th 2001…. As the twin towers tumble, they unleash a toxic dust…covering Lower Manhattan.
UPSOT fire engine
Into that dust rushed hundreds of firefighters.
Ray Pfeiffer was one of them.
SOT - Ray Pfeifer, Former New York Firefighter
TAKE
Now 58 years old, Ray tells me he has stage 4 kidney cancer - and he's had 11 operations since 2009. He's not alone - three times more people have been diagnosed with cancer linked to the attacks in the last two years than in all the previous 13.
SOT - Super: Ray Pfeifer, Former New York Firefighter
TAKE VO
Just a few miles from Ray's house in Long Island, there's a special park - it's the only one in the US dedicated to remembering those 911 first responders who died after their work at ground zero was complete. At the moment there's around 600 names engraved there, with another 100 or so set to be added later in September. And the park's founder John Feal says they won't be the last.
SOT - John Feal, 9/11 Responder and Founder, Fealgood Foundation
TAKE VO
John's a demolition supervisor who lost part of his foot when 8000 pounds of steel fell on top of him during the Ground Zero clean up operation. As well as setting up this memorial, he was instrumental in lobbying Washington to get more government money for people made ill because of their work on 9/11.
SOT - Super: John Feal, 9/11 Responder and Founder, Fealgood Foundation
As of July 2016, the World Trade Centre Health Programme says over a thousand people have died since the attacks, most of whom lived or worked at or near the site. Still, John and Ray insist they're the lucky ones - they're around to spend time with their families, tell their stories - and make sure those who weren't so lucky aren't forgotten. Lorna Shaddick, New York.