Three 9/11 Firefighters Die Of Cancer In One Day

The three New York City firefighters, first responders on 9/11, died within hours of each other.

New York firefighters (from left) Daniel Heglund, Howard Bischoff and Robert Leaver

[su_center_ad]Howard Bischoff and Daniel Heglund were 58, while the third firefighter, Robert Leaver, was 56.

All three men, who died Monday, had been retired since 2003.

“Losing three firefighters on the same day to WTC-related illnesses is a painful reminder that, 13 years later, we continue to pay a terrible price for the department’s heroic efforts on September 11,” Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

Their deaths bring the number of rescue workers who have perished from September 11-related illnesses to 92.Tens of thousands of people, mainly emergency workers, have contracted respiratory, skin and other ailments after being exposed to toxins at Ground Zero.[su_csky_ad]

D.B. Hirsch

D.B. Hirsch is a political activist, news junkie, and retired ad copy writer and spin doctor. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.