Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Highlights $2 Million State Investment to Support 9/11-Related Cancer Research
Earlier today,Governor Kathy Hochul visited firefighters at Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Engine 16, Ladder Company 7 in Kips Bay, Manhattan to highlight New York State’s $2 million award to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The award supports a groundbreaking cancer genomics study aimed at identifying precancerous mutations in first responders who were exposed to toxins and are at elevated risk for cancer following their response to the 9/11 attacks. In the FY27 Budget, the Governor secured an additional $1 million, bringing the award’s total to $2 million. This funding will unlock early testing and care for thousands of our brave 9/11 first responders. Additionally, the Governor signed three pieces of legislation today to provide support to 9/11 victims, responders and surviving family members.
VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here and here (h.264, mp4).
AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here and here
PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.
A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:
Thank you, First Deputy Fire Commissioner Flynn, and to Dr. David Prezant, you'll be hearing from him. Dr. Amit Verma, our friends, Bobby Eustace, the President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, and Jim Brosi has joined us, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, and all the members of this incredible, incredible force of people standing behind me.
This is a tough week. It's really hard, whether you're someone who was touched directly by 9/11 or a younger person who came up knowing the story, or perhaps had a parent who perished on that day. And as the stories come forward this particular week, and tomorrow in particular, I know there's a lot of heavy hearts in this community.
But also not just those who perished on that day, as referenced by Commissioner Daniel Flynn, but the fact that 452 who went in that day, stayed to do the work that was so grueling, so heartbreaking, so difficult, they stayed and never went home. And yet finally, when the job was done, months and months later, they had no idea that they were exposed to toxins and chemicals that could later, later harm them — and in those 452 cases, take their lives, steal their lives from themselves and their families.
So last spring, it came to my attention, with a series of letters from the gentleman behind me, that the detection of 9/11 blood cancers is so important. The early detection is everything, and it makes such a huge difference. And what we found is that there were thousands of people who had already been tested, but there are about 2,000 that their funding had run out for Albert Einstein's College of Medicine to continue the great work they've been doing to analyze the results, make sure that those are alerted who have perhaps a possibility or perhaps actually contracted the illness already, and let them get the treatment they need.
To have 2,000 cases unresolved, leaving questions, was just wrong. So we stepped up. The request was for $2 million. I'm proud today that we are announcing the $2 million is there. It will be there for you, whatever you need, because when I hear the alarm for help in a different way than you hear, I respond, just as you respond without hesitation.
We also signed a number of bills today that support our efforts to continue this work, and I'm proud to continue doing everything I can, everything within my power as the Governor of this state that has endured the unthinkable and those who are living here today will never forget that day, then, now or forever. And this is a small token of our appreciation to show that we'll continue to do everything we can to fight for the health of those who went into the fire, came out and are now subjected to illnesses.
So I want to thank everyone. I want to thank Dr. Prezant too as well, David Prezant, to tell us a little bit about what Albert Einstein College of Medicine is actually doing for us. So, Dr. Prezant.
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Thank you for joining us today, and again tomorrow's going to be a very hard day for people here at Ladder 7 and throughout the city. And my wish, my heartfelt wish is that people will set aside their divisiveness, their differences, and rekindle that spirit that existed in this city on September 12th, when people realized what happened, and they comforted each other, comforted strangers, talked to each other on subways, walked up to police officers and firefighters and just thanked them for protecting them.
That gratitude has to continue for the next 25, 50, 100 years because of those we lost that day and continue to lose because of these illnesses. But also, I leave here with a renewed gratitude for the men and women of the firefighter services who fearlessly will do what many others will never do, and that is to run into the line of fire. They did it then, they do it every day, and we say thank you.
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