S6 E36 600+ FDNY Illness Deaths From 9/11 with Guest Ret. Deputy Chief Richard Alles

Twenty-five years after 9/11, more than 600 FDNY members have died from Ground Zero-related illness, nearly double the number lost in the collapse itself. Retired FDNY Deputy Chief Richard Alles arrived 20 minutes after the second tower fell and spent nine months on-site. Today, as Director of 9/11 Community Affairs for Barasch & McGarry, he works full-time helping first responders and survivors access the WTC Health Program and Victim Compensation Fund. In this conversation, Chief Alles covers: What leadership looked like in the chaos of Ground Zero's first hours How detective James Zadroga's autopsy became the forensic evidence that passed the Zadroga Act The current FDNY and nationwide illness death toll, now surpassing 9,000 across all WTC-related illness Who qualifies for WTC Health Program and VCF benefits, and the exposure-hour requirements by date Why skin cancer, not respiratory illness, is the most common Ground Zero-linked condition His own two cancer diagnoses, and why he tells everyone with 9/11 exposure "it's not if you'll get sick, it's when" Subscribe for more conversations on first responder mental health, leadership, and culture.   YouTube: Responder Resilience Facebook: ResponderTV LinkedIn, Apple Podcasts, Spotify: Responder Resilience Full archive: ResponderTV.com Contact Richard Alles: Website: https://www.post911attorneys.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BaraschMcGarry/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baraschmcgarry/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/barasch-mcgarry/ Contact Responder Resilience: Phone: +1 844-344-6655 Email: [email protected] Our website with past episodes and more: https://www.respondertv.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ResponderResilience LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/responder-resilience-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/responder.tv/ This show is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, psychological, or professional treatment. Views expressed are those of the individuals, not any affiliated agency or organization. In an emergency, call 911. For mental health support, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).