NFPA Journal - September/October 2016 - 14

» PERSPECTIVES " Literally when the dust settled, we had guys go out with cups, scoop out some dust from various sites, and bring it back to the lab-that's how we found out what was in it. You name it, you could probably find it in the dust and in the air. " 14 that's how we found out what was in it. You ing guestimate is there were about 90,000 name it, you could probably find it in the dust responders. Across our programs, we have and in the air. about 65,000 folks who we have identified as responders. We're a little short of where we Like what? should be. We know for certain there was asbestos. There were polycyclic aromatic hydroThere is a list of illnesses that are covered for people enrolled in the WTC carbons, some metals, lots of fibers, and Health Program. What is the process fiberglass. Then there were other sorts of for getting the government to pay for combustion products from all the burning onsite, the jet fuel from the planes going into treatment once these individuals are diagnosed? the buildings and setting them on fire. There was likely benzene exposure, plus all that stuff I see a patient, look at their condition, and burning off and coming off in the smoke. write out a certification form that describes how their symptoms and conditions are As a medical and occupational related to the dust and the patient's exposure hazard researcher, how do you even at the site. The government is very good begin to study the effects? about reviewing that and getting it back to If I go to a benzene spill in a factory, I go us. It takes maybe 10 days, which is really in knowing the size of the spill, the comfast compared to workers' comp or other pound that was spilled, the ventilation and insurance companies. Once they indicate exhaust system in place, the timeframe for that the person has a condition that is certithe exposure-I know a lot of stuff. [9/11] fied as related to working at the World Trade by comparison is so out of the box. As far as Center site, treatment for that condition is the cancer itself, there were multiple agents essentially free to the responder. in that cloud that can, over the long-term, As you can imagine, for people who have a produce cancer. But we'll probably never cancer that is certified under this program, it is know exactly how this multi-toxic exposure an enormous financial relief to families. Some changes the understood effect of these comof these cancer medications can cost $18,000 pounds on their own. a month. For a normal family trying to handle that, even with insurance, it's crippling. You How does the center make contact with can't always cure it, but certainly you can first responders who were involved with relieve some of the tremendous anguish that 9/11? How many have you evaluated? comes with the diagnosis of cancer. We get a lot of people coming in to the program through word of mouth, and we also Other than an apparent increase in cancers, what are some of the other do community outreach. I've found that if conditions you see in this population? you walk up to police officers who look like they are in their late 30s, invariably they were How does it impact their lives? down at Ground Zero. In my experience, It is a spectrum of respiratory conditions there is maybe a 50 percent chance they had right now. About 20-30 percent of our popthought about coming to the WTC Health ulation has asthma. For most people it's a Program and never came. There are lots of pain in the neck, but it's not the type of thing folks who haven't availed themselves of the where we see people rushing to the emerprogram yet. gency room because they can't breathe. This is a more chronic, lower acuity condition, What percentage has come forward but it's really disturbing to people who were and enrolled? used to being active. Many are struggling to One of the problems from the beginning do their jobs and stay on the job. Asthma has been that there was no roster kept of the can disqualify people for some of those posipeople who ended up on the site, so nobody tions, which is obviously a real hit for some knows the number of people who responded. of these guys who've spent their careers People rushed in, it was chaos. The workdoing service jobs. NFPA JOURNAL SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

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