Kevin Noland, a retired firefighter who was one of the emergency workers to respond to September 11, just passed away of 9/11-related cancer at the age of 58.
On September 11, 2001, Noland rushed to the scene after the attacks on the World Trade Center that killed nearly 3,000 people, including 400 emergency workers. Since the attacks, there have been over 2,000 deaths attributed to 9/11 illnesses.
At the time of the attacks, Noland was a proud member of Engine Company 79, which he first joined in 1989. He is survived by his wife and three children.
It is with Regret we announce the WTC Related Death of Retired Firefighter Kevin J. Nolan Engine Company 79. Funeral arrangements are posted below.#343andcounting pic.twitter.com/YSLrEQ3JQ9
— UFA NYC Firefighters (@UFANYC) July 17, 2019
“Kevin is the 199th member of the FDNY to die of World Trade Center related illness,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro. “So many years later, we continue to lose those who displayed such incredible bravery on that terrible day, and in the weeks that followed.”
“Our condolences go out to his family for the loss of this member,” added Gerard Fitzgerald, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association. “He is another lost victim of 911 and he will be missed.”
9/11-related cancer continues to be a major issue to this day. Dr. Gaetane Michaud, a lung health specialist at New York University, lamented that many people who were in the area at the time may not know that they are in desperate need of medical help.
“I feel heartbroken to know that if at the lowest number, we’re saying there are about 400,000 people that should be benefiting from the World Trade resources, and about 80,000 are actually benefiting from them, that’s a big discrepancy. There’s a lot of people out there that really need help and really need to be vigilant,” said Michaud. “It’s not just lung cancers. It’s lung cancers, breast cancers, esophageal cancers, and thyroid cancers to name a few. These people should be screened and be taken care of. Even if you think beyond cancers, there are all kinds of other World Trade related lung diseases.”
Please keep Noland’s family in your thoughts and prayers.
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