FDNY ‘Cook Off’ fund-raiser aims to help 9/11 firefighters battling cancer

Feb. 18--They're not just fighting fires.

More than 1,000 active and retired FDNY members are battling 9/11-related cancers -- and the department is holding a cook-off to raise funds and awareness.

"So many of our members are suffering," said Dr. Kerry Kelly, the FDNY's chief medical officer. "On a given week we will see two to four new cases."

The department's ongoing fight against cancer will be highlighted Tuesday during a special "Cook Off for Cancer" at FDNY headquarters at the MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn. About 600 FDNY employees and friends expected to pay $10 to attend.

The event will honor the department's cancer survivors while promoting screenings and healthy eating as a way to combat the potentially deadly disease.

Cooks from seven FDNY firehouses will share nutritious meals, Kelly said.

Retired FDNY Firefighter Ray Cooney, the host of "Firehouse Kitchen" on the city TV station, NYC Life, will talk about cancer awareness and prevention.

Money raised from the event will go to the American Cancer Society, the FDNY Foundation's Fired Up for a Cure, and several local groups that provide support services for survivors.

Among the beneficiaries is the Ray Pfeifer Foundation, named after firefighter Ray Pfeifer, a driving force in getting the federal Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act extended for sick first responders who worked at Ground Zero. The Pfeifer Foundation assists first responders with medical needs not covered by insurance.

Pfeifer, who received the key to the city for his efforts in getting the Zadroga Act extended, lost his battle to cancer in May. He is one of the 169 FDNY members who have died from 9/11-related illnesses.

All of the more than 1,000 cancer cases the FDNY has catalogued can be linked back the first responder's time breathing in toxins at Ground Zero, Kelly said.

Nearly all of them are taken care of by Dominique Joseph, the oncology case manager for the FDNY's medical office.

"Not everyone has a life-threatening cancer, but the word cancer changes people's lives," Kelly said. "We want to support that person, their spouses and their families."

Another beneficiary of Tuesday's fund-raiser is the FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation that organizes volunteers to escort cancer survivors to chemotherapy and other medical appointments.

"It's a labor of love for the people who are volunteering," Kelly said of the group. "They want to show they care and provide assistance. But the bad news is you see four of five of these vans outside of Sloan Kettering on any given day."

The staggering number of cancer cases comes amid fears that President Trump may reorganize the federal agency that oversees health treatment and monitoring of 9/11 first responders.

Advocates for sick 9/11 first responders say the rejiggering could lead to delays in treatments, medications and monitoring.

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