Another 25 Names Added To FDNY Memorial Wall Honoring Members Who Died Of 9/11 Illnesses
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- More than two dozen members of the FDNY who died of illnesses from the rescue and recovery work at Ground Zero will be honored Tuesday.
The department will add 25 more names to the FDNY World Trade Center Memorial Wall.
On the eve of 20 years since the 9/11 attacks, CBS2 spoke with one man who said the wall has become a second home.
"It's been here since 2006. I've been taking care of it every day," Harry Roland told CBS2's Kevin Rincon.
He also tries to make sure people appreciate why it's there.
"Sometimes I just blurt it out, 'Look at the wall, why is it there, feel it, touch it, put your hands all over it,'" he said.
Officials have said 75% of the firefighters who responded on 9/11 now have some form of illness.
The World Trade Center Health Program is free to all who have a documented 9/11-related illness. Congress also designated billions of dollars for victims compensation for those with cancer and those who have lost loved ones. Click here for more information.