In the 23 years since the 9/11 attacks, illnesses that were linked to the rescue work from the World Trade Center have killed more members of the New York City Fire Department than were killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
"Those insurmountable losses did not end at the World Trade Center site," New York City Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said, reports WABC in New York City on Tuesday. "Instead, we have seen our members become sick because of the time they spent working in the rescue and recovery."
According to FDNY officials, 343 members of the department died on the day the Twin Towers fell, but since then, illnesses linked to the terrorist attack have claimed more than 370 members.
The FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association reports that 28 of the deaths happened over this past year.
"Just because you're alive doesn't mean you're living and these people are suffering every day, just trying to stay alive," Lt. Jim Brosi, president of the FDNY Uniformed Fire Officers Association, commented.
Despite the decades that have gone by, 1,103 people, or about 40% of the 2,753 who were killed at the World Trade Center, have not been formally identified, and there has not been a new identification of remains since January,.
The most recent firefighter who died after being diagnosed with a 9/11-related cancer was only in his early 50s.
He was buried Saturday, but less than a year ago, he was still working as a full-duty firefighter and had been active and healthy.
Meanwhile, the first responders and survivors still find themselves in a fight for federal funding. Last year, Congress passed a $676 million stopgap measure to make up for the funding shortfall.
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., said bipartisan legislation is being sought to provide permanent funding for the World Trade Center Health Program and would mean the end of such shortfalls.
"There's going to be a shortfall again predicted in 2028, and the reason we're pushing for this bill is that this is our duty as Americans," he said.
The annual National September 11 Memorial & Museum's commemoration ceremony will start at 8:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday.