NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The FDNY lost two more members to 9/11 related illnesses, marking a somber milestone as the number of deaths reached 343, equaling the number of FDNY members who died on the day of the attacks, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh, announced.
EMT Hilda Vannata, 67, died last Wednesday following a battle with cancer.
Retired firefighter Robert Fulco, 73, part of Engine Company 250 in Brooklyn, died Saturday from pulmonary fibrosis.
Both of their illnesses were caused by the time they spent working in the rescue and recovery at the World Trade Center site after the 2001 terrorist attacks, according to officials.
Their deaths brought the number of FDNY EMTs, firefighters and civilians who've died of 9/11 illnesses to 343.
"We have long known this day was coming, yet its reality is astounding just the same," Kavanaugh said of the milestone in a statement. "With these deaths, we have reached a somber, remarkable milestone," the commissioner's statement continued. "We have now suffered the same number of deaths post September 11th as we experienced that day when the north and south towers fell. Our hearts break for the families of these members, and all who loved them."
Some 11,000 FDNY members currently suffer from 9/11-related diseases, including 3,500 who have cancer, officials said.