NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 12
ยป PERSPECTIVES
VIEWPOINTS ON FIRE + LIFE SAFETY
OVEREXPOSURE Medical experts say that tens of thousands of
people in New York City were exposed to potentially carcinogenic
materials during and after the events of 9/11.
Danger in the Dust
Fifteen years after 9/11, responders, recovery workers, and others are reporting markedly
higher rates of cancer-a direct result, many believe, of Ground Zero exposures
AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. MICHAEL CRANE, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, WTC HEALTH PROGRAM
Fifteen years ago this month, terrorists flew two commercial
airliners into the World Trade Center towers in New York City
as part of a multi-pronged attack on the United States. When
the dust settled, the horrific event had killed 2,606 people in
New York, including hundreds of first responders.
Years later, that dust may be pushing the death toll ever
higher. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
since the events of 9/11, at least 1,140 people enrolled in the
World Trade Center Health Program-first responders, rescue
and recovery workers, construction and utility workers, residents-have died, many from cancers and respiratory illnesses
that medical professionals attribute in part to the toxic stew of
chemicals and substances they inhaled near Ground Zero.
Congress established the WTC Health Program in 2011 to
provide free screening, monitoring, and treatment to 9/11 rescue and recovery workers. There are about 48,000 Ground Zero
rescue and recovery workers enrolled in the program, administered by the CDC, and another 16,000 enrolled in a separate
12
NFPA JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
|
BY JESSE ROMAN
program administered by the Fire Department of New York
(FDNY). Many participants suffer from debilitating respiratory
conditions or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Over
time, the government has expanded the number of illnesses
covered under the program, as more proof has been gathered
that the afflictions are related to exposures at Ground Zero.
In June 2012, more than 50 types of cancer were added to
the list of sicknesses covered by the program. That designation has, in part, led to a three-fold increase in the number
of reported 9/11-related cancer cases since the beginning
of 2014, as responders have come forward to report previous cancer diagnoses. As of the end of June, 5,441 people
enrolled in the program are living with cancer diagnoses. Among those, 4,692 are first responders, emergency
responders, recovery and cleanup workers, and volunteers.
(For more on the issue of firefighter cancer, see the "Washington, D.C." column on page 22.) In addition, more than
12,000 WTC Health Program enrollees have been diagnosed
Photograph: AP/Wide World
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2016
Contents
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 1
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - Contents
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 3
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 4
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 5
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 6
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 7
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 8
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 9
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 10
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 11
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 12
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 13
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 14
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 15
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 16
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 17
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 18
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 19
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 20
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 21
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 22
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 23
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 24
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 25
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 26
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 27
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 28
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 29
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 30
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 31
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 32
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - I1
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - I2
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 33
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 34
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 35
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 36
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 37
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 38
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 39
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 40
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 41
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 42
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 43
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 44
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 45
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 46
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 47
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 48
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 49
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 50
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 51
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 52
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 53
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 54
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 55
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 56
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 57
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 58
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 59
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 60
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 61
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 62
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 63
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 64
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 65
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 66
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 67
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 68
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 69
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 70
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 71
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 72
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 73
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 74
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 75
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 76
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 77
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 78
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 79
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 80
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - Cover3
NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2024spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_201610_sprinkler
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20121112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120304
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com