Howard Bischoff, Robert Leaver and Daniel Heglund, who all worked at Ground Zero in days after 9/11, died on Monday

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Three retired New York firefighters who worked at Ground Zero in the days after the World Trade Center attack died on the same day this week of illnesses possibly connected to toxic dust released on 9/11, fire officials said.

Lieutenant Howard Bischoff and firefighters Robert Leaver and Daniel Heglund died on Monday.

“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,” FDNY commissioner Daniel Nigro said in a statement.

Leaver, a 20-year veteran, and Bischoff, a 19-year veteran, grew up in Brooklyn and were childhood friends. Heglund served 21 years with the department and died just a day before his 59th birthday.

One of the firefighters died of leukemia, another of esophageal cancer and the third of colon cancer.

“On that day when first responders arrived, the air was toxic and remained toxic for many months afterward,” said Jake Lemonda, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, said during a media availability on Thursday.

The FDNY lost 341 firefighters and paramedics on 9/11. Since that day, the department has lost 92 firefighters due to illnesses caused by the search for survivors, according to the department.

A great many more who were exposed – especially those who were at the buildings when they collapsed and in the initial days and weeks after – suffer from respiratory troubles. The lung problems are likely caused by the inhalation of dust, smoke and fumes from the building collapse. Hundreds of firefighters were forced to retire early as a result of illnesses caused by 9/11.

A study by Stony Brook Medicine’s World Trade Center Health Program found that roughly 60% of the World Trade Center responders still suffer from lingering respiratory illnesses and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“Now more than 10 years after 9/11, the connection between mental and physical illnesses among responders appears stronger,” said Dr Benjamin Luft, the program’s director, in a press release. The next phase of the study will evaluate how the combination of physical and mental conditions suffered by the Ground Zero responders affect the advancement of diseases and genetic changes in these men and women.

Their deaths come as lawmakers urge Congress to pass a bill extending medical treatment and compensation for Ground Zero workers who are still battling illnesses caused by exposure.

The measure, called the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act, would extend the original measure for 25 more years, through 2041. The current programs are set to expire over the next two years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.