As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a group of Philadelphia police officers who responded to Ground Zero say they are still fighting for assurances that their families will be taken care of if illnesses tied to their service ultimately take their lives. Amo ng them is retired Philadelphia Police Sgt. Greg Masi, who spent several days in Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the attacks. Masi is now living with blood cancer and asthma that have been linked to his exposure there. “Serve and protect. That’s our oath. And that’s what I did,” Masi told the NBC10 Investigators. Photos taken in the days after Sept. 11 show the destruction Masi and other Philadelphia officers encountered: twisted steel, crushed vehicles and air filled with dust and debris. “There were fires burning, there was smoke, there was dust, and none of us thought about it,” Masi said. “We didn’t think there were toxins in the dust.” The federal World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical and mental health services to people affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, determined in 2020 that Masi’s time at Ground Zero contributed to his health conditions. On Tuesday, New York City released more than 100,000 pages of records related to the long-term health impacts of 9/11 dust exposure. Among the documents was a 2004 report that concluded the dust and its toxins could harm human health. “We didn’t know that. We had no idea,” Masi said. The officers are not asking for immediate benefits. Instead, they want written assurances that if they die from illnesses connected to their service at Ground Zero, their families will receive line-of-duty death benefits. Without a line-of-duty designation, Masi and the union said their families would receive fewer benefits, including only a portion of the officers’ pensions. In a statement to the NBC10 Investigators, the City of Philadelphia thanked the officers for their service and said it recognizes their medical conditions may be job-related. However, the city said existing procedures require families to petition the city’s pension board after an officer’s death. According to a city spokesperson, the board would then review each case individually. For Masi, that answer isn’t enough. In previous years, the city recognized Masi and his fellow officers with certificates honoring their service. Now, he wants something more meaningful. “If my Ground Zero-related illness takes my life, I want to know my family will be taken care of,” he said. Roosevelt Poplar, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said the city has an obligation to the officers it sent to Ground Zero. “They’re heroes, and they always will be heroes,” Poplar said. He said the city should acknowledge its responsibility to those officers and provide certainty for their families. A spokesperson for Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel told NBC10 Investigators that the commissioner is also working to ensure the families receive the benefits they deserve. “It’s 25 years later, and for me and the people who were there, whether they were civilians, construction workers or first responders, 9/11 is still not over,” Masi said. Full statement from the City of Philadelphia: “The city is profoundly grateful to the first responders who risked their lives at the World Trade Center site. Their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten, and the city understands that there are illnesses and injuries caused by WTC exposure that could be job-related. “As such, the city is committed to standing with these responders and their families. If the time comes when any of our responders lose their lives to a WTC-related illness, the families may apply to the Pension Board, which will review each case individually for line-of-duty death designation for pension benefits. The city would fully support the board’s decision in these cases. Further, the city will stand by their loved ones, honor their sacrifice and take every action so that each of them can be recognized alongside the nation’s fallen heroes on the memorial wall in Washington, D.C. “These individuals answered the call when it mattered most. They are heroes, and the City will honor them as such.” Full statement from Commissioner Kevin Bethel: “The Philadelphia police officers who answered the call in NYC at Ground Zero in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, did so in their official capacity and with the full support of this Department. Their courage, service and sacrifice are not in question. They stepped forward at a moment of unimaginable national tragedy, and we will always honor them as heroes and members of the Philadelphia Police Department family. We recognize the serious health conditions that a number of these retired members are now confronting following that service, and we remain committed to supporting them and their families. The department continues to work thoughtfully with our city partners towards a resolution through the appropriate review processes.” The NBC10 Investigators can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected]. ...read more read less