By Kyle Lawson
Staten Island Advance, N.Y.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The death toll continues to rise for emergency responders who risked their lives during the chaos and aftermath of 9/11 to save others.
Retired firefighter Richard Driscoll, who inhaled toxins in the air during the rescue effort, died Wednesday in New York, according to multiple reports.
He became the 200th member of the FDNY to succumb to a 9/11-related illness.
“It is almost incomprehensible that after losing 343 members on September 11, we have now had 200 more FDNY members die due to World Trade Center illness,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro in a written statement Thursday. “These heroes gave their lives bravely fighting to rescue and recover others. We will never forget them.”
Driscoll, a Vietnam veteran, retired from Engine Co. 91 in East Harlem in 2002 after serving the department for 32 years, according to reports.
A post on the FDNY’s Twitter page in memoriam of Driscoll evoked an emotional response.
“200...the nightmare continues. Rest in Peace Brother,” read one of the comments.
The news came less than 24 hours after the death of Firefighter Kevin Nolan, 58, who was part of the rescue and recovery effort following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
This week, Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, blocked fast track approval of a bill that would guarantee federal funding for 9/11 victims never runs out.
Last year, the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund said that since it began in 2011, some 3,194 Staten Islanders had submitted claims to the VCF; the fund has awarded 1,706 claims to borough residents.
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