Twenty-four years after the September 11 attacks, Philadelphia police officers at Ground Zero are still living with the aftermath. They were sent to New York City in 2001 to help with recovery and communications at the World Trade Center site. Today, many of them are battling cancer, lung disease and other serious conditions they believe stem from their exposure to toxic debris.
Among them is Mark Fischer, the former commander of the Philadelphia Crime Scene Unit. Fischer says his health has deteriorated so badly he now needs a lung transplant.
“I am in need for a lung transplant,” Fischer said. “It has been a struggle.”
Story Highlights
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Philadelphia police officers at Ground Zero now fighting cancer and lung disease
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Mark Fischer, former Crime Scene Unit commander, urgently needs lung transplant
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Officers claim illnesses are linked to toxic debris from 9/11 site
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City denied duty-related status in 2020; appeal renewed
Fischer and roughly a dozen other Philadelphia police officers at Ground Zero were deployed by then-Police Commissioner John Timoney to assist New York authorities in the grim task of recovering human remains. Their work took place in an environment still filled with ash, smoke and unstable structures.
“It was nonstop,” Fischer recalled. “Ten inches of dust on the sidewalk and in the streets. As you were walking, you were kicking the dust up.”
He injured his leg during that two-week mission. Yet he says the emotional weight of what he saw has been harder to carry than the physical injuries. He remembers one detail especially vividly — an untouched coffee cup sitting on a desk in the rubble.
“There was a coffee cup that was not moved because I could see the dust,” he said. “I was thinking to myself — this poor person, they came to work, were looking out over the city, having their cup of coffee and whatnot, and they get killed.”
Although Fischer never smoked, doctors with the World Trade Center Health Fund diagnosed him with lung disease more than a decade ago. He says his condition has worsened sharply over the last two years.
“My life expectancy after a transplant may only be five years,” he said. “That kind of burns me up because the city hasn’t acknowledged my ailments.”
The group of Philadelphia police officers at Ground Zero first asked the city in 2020 to recognize their illnesses as duty-related. That status would qualify them for specific health benefits. Their request was denied at the time, but they have now reignited their appeal, citing worsening conditions and mounting medical costs.
City Hall has acknowledged the renewed plea but not yet taken a position. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said Thursday the administration is “looking into the issue” and will offer a more detailed response later in the day.
For the officers, the outcome of that review could mean not only financial help but also official acknowledgment of the sacrifices they made far from home. Their story underscores the lingering health risks for first responders and the long shadow of 9/11 on public-safety workers across the country.
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