The city is essentially saying that pensions to FDNY widows and disabled firefighters are a burden ("Inside Pension Bloat," Editorial, Feb. 10).

Have these bureaucrats forgotten the single catastrophic event where 343 firefighters died and thousands more were permanently disabled?

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, on 9/11, over 10,000 firefighters lost, on average, 12 years of lung capacity as a result of the rescue and recovery operation at the World Trade Center.

Over 1,000 were forced into retirement by doctors who deemed them too sick to continue firefighting. Since 2002, more than 80 have died, and, in 2008 alone, 19 young 9/11 firefighters perished of rare cancers, lung disease and other ailments.

Being a New York City firefighter continues to be one of the most dangerous jobs in America.

Long before 9/11, Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers found that NYC firefighters have a greater incidence of cancer than any other profession, due to regular exposure to smoke and toxins.

Years of cumulative health hazards take a great toll on firefighters, shortening many careers and lives. NYC firefighters continue to suffer a higher death and injury ratio than those in any fire department in the country due to the FDNY's aggressive interior attack.

These tactics have saved countless lives and dramatically reduced property loss to citizens, but the consequence is increased deaths and injuries to NYC firefighters.

Steve Cassidy, President,

Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, Manhattan