Ray Pfeifer, firefighter, voice for 9/11 health care, dies
NEW YORK (AP) — A retired New York City firefighter who spent months digging through debris after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, then became a key voice in fighting for health care for first responders while wracked with late-stage cancer himself, has died, the fire department said.
Pfeifer was among those who lobbied fiercely for the renewal of the Zadroga Act, which provides health benefits to first responders who fell ill after the attacks in 2001.
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said Sunday that Pfeifer was "a true fighter," from battling blazes to pressing for help for sickened 9/11 first responders.