Poll: Families of ill first-responders urge Congress to extend Zadroga Act.

The law named after the first cop whose death was tied to working at Ground Zero that would compensate cleanup workers who’ve fallen ill is set to expire shortly.

James Zadroga – a New York City detective - worked for hundreds of hours at Ground Zero after the attacks, died in 2006 at the age of 34. He had no preexisting heath problems – and his family believed his death was caused by inhaling the toxic fumes at the World Trade Center site.

It was due to the findings of an autopsy performed by Dr. Gerard Breton, a retired pathologist who had worked for the Ocean County medical examiner’s office that the death was due to respiratory failure that was “directly related to the 9/11 incident.”

After much fierce debate, the Zadroga Act was enacted which provides health care treatment for 30,000 or so first responders, along with others who’ve been affected by the toxic fumes.

With all that, the act is set to expire, if not for the efforts of James’ father, Joseph who is pushing Congress to extend benefits for those affected by the cleanup of the site.

Zadroga knows only too well the aftereffects first responders had gone through.

He’s seen his son go through the horror of respiratory failure caused by the dust he inhaled at the cleanup site.

That’s why he attended a rally at 7 World Trade Center to urge Congress to extend the law, saying:

“These people are really sick.” “I know what these people are going through — the illness, and the anxiety, and the depression that comes along with it,” he said.

On the eve of the 13th anniversary of 9/11 - it would be a fitting gesture to extend the provisions of the Zadroga Act to compensate those who've risked their health in the recovery and cleanup following that horrific day!

Should the Zadroga Act compensating first responders who'd fallen ill working at Ground Zero be extended?