Local 440 and the World Trade Center Monitoring and Treatment

“Were you there? We still care! After the terrorists’ attacks on September l 1, 2001, volunteers and workers from North Country were there for the survivors. Nearly 100 workers from Local 440 Iron Workers were at the World Trade Center when the planes hit. Instead of leaving, many stayed to help dismantle the towers that some of the same workers or their relatives had helped build decades earlier. As reported by Michael Swamp, former business manager of Local 440, volunteers from the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation and other First Nations not only worked in the clean-up effort but were there for survivors in other ways. Truckloads of cleanup supplies and donations, as well as an ambulance crew, were sent from North Country to New York City. Some members of Local 440 stayed more than a year to assist in the recovery effort.

More than a decade has passed since the attacks, yet new and worsening health conditions continue to impact those who were there. ICF International, partnered with the National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN) is conducting national outreach and education to responders and survivors to inform them of their potential eligibility to receive free medical and mental health care benefits through the World Trade Center Health Program.

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program aims to ensure that residents students, survivors, and responders at the disaster sites in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, PA receive the healthcare they need for 9-11 related health conditions such as respiratory illnesses, heartburn, certain cancers, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

All workers and volunteers, even those who do not currently feel ill or in poor health, are encouraged to apply. The WTC Health Program continues to monitor and treat 9-11- related health conditions with the help of medical providers throughout the United States. If you were there, the World Trade Center Health Program still cares about you.

NDIN is reaching out for help to identify individuals and populations who may be eligible for WTC Health Program benefits. If you or someone you know participated in the disaster response in the aftermath of 9-11, please share this information and apply today. For applications stop by Mohawk Plumbing on Route 37, call the office at 518-358-4856, or call 888-982-4748.