The deadline for 9/11 first responders exposed to toxic dust at Ground Zero to seek benefits from the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board is this Sunday.
Greenport volunteer firefighter Anton Volinski was one of thousands of first responders who raced to the wreckage of the World Trade Center.
“We just did what we had to do – we didn’t know if there was anything wrong there,” Volinski said.
He was diagnosed with throat cancer more than 20 years after the attacks, but received disability benefits to help with his treatment after filing a claim with the state Workers’ Compensation Board from New York.
Volinski is urging other 9/11 first responders to register with the board before the deadline.
“You put your life in your hands when you went there – the best thing to do now is get compensated,” Volinski said.
9/11 benefits attorney Beth Jablon said the benefits were for all first responders, even if they were outside of the NYPD and FDNY.
Disability benefits include lost wages and accidental death benefits for family members if the claimant dies.
