NY Daily News – March 03, 2016
by Rich Schapiro
Better late than never
It took nearly 15 years — but more than 1,000 first-responders suffering 9/11-related health woes are finally receiving their full compensation checks, officials announced Tuesday.
The first batch of long-overdue payments — totaling more than $233.4 million — are on the way to Sept. 11 heroes courtesy of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
“I’m absolutely grateful,” said Frank McBride, 50, a former paramedic who contracted bladder cancer and emphysema after toiling at The Pit.
“It’s not like I’m going to say, ‘Let’s go to Europe,’ or something like that. To me, the money is to pay my debts, and if something happens to me, to make sure my family will be okay.”
Like thousands of other ailing Ground Zero workers, McBride’s declining health had devastating consequences. “I couldn’t do my job anymore, I had to go on social security and we were practically put out on the street,” said McBride, who lives with his wife outside Scranton.
The stricken workers had previously received only 10% of their full awards. The remainder was set aside until administrators knew the total payout amount.
The rolling out of the full payments drew cheers from advocates for the sickened cops, firefighters and other first-responders. “The progress announced today is good news for injured and ill 9/11 responders and survivors who are starting to get the full help that they need and deserve,” said Benjamin Chevat, executive director of the 9/11 Health Watch advocacy group.
The fund was set up by Congress to compensate people who got sick after being exposed to the toxic fumes swirling around Ground Zero.
Whether the sick would ever receive their full awards remained in doubt in the past few years as Congress dithered over extending the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.
The House and Senate finally gave the green light last December after a sustained push by the Daily News, advocates and elected officials.
As of early February, the fund had awarded roughly $1.8 billion to more than 9,100 sickened workers.
Sheila Birnbaum, the administrator who oversees the fund, announced Tuesday that the first group of payments will be completed by June. The next batch of checks are expected to start going out this September.
No comments yet.