James Zadroga

James Zadroga
Born(1971-02-08)February 8, 1971
North Arlington, New Jersey, U.S
DiedJanuary 5, 2006(2006-01-05) (aged 34)
EmployerNew York City Police Department (1992–2006)
SpouseRhonda Zadroga (d. 2005)

James Zadroga (February 8, 1971[1] – January 5, 2006) was a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer who died of a respiratory disease that has been attributed to his participation in rescue and recovery operations in the rubble of the World Trade Center following the September 11 attacks. Zadroga was the first NYPD officer whose death was attributed to exposure to his contact with toxic chemicals at the attack site.[2]

Zadroga had joined the New York City Police Department in 1992 and attained the rank of Detective. He was a healthy non-smoker and had no known history of asthma or other respiratory conditions before spending 450 hours participating in the recovery efforts at the 9/11 attack site.[3] Weeks after his time at the World Trade Center site, Zadroga developed a persistent cough, and, as the months progressed, he developed shortness of breath and became unable to walk distances more than 100 feet without gasping for air.[4]

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund awarded Zadroga a monetary settlement in excess of $1 million in 2004, after determining that his exposure to dust at Ground Zero had caused his respiratory illness. The New York City Police Department Medical Board approved his application for permanent disability retirement that same year, after concluding that his illness was related to dust exposure.[5]

  1. ^ As listed on the memorial stone in Zadroga Field, North Arlington, New Jersey
  2. ^ Smith, Stephen. "Tale Of The 'Walking Dead': A N.Y. Cop's Life Turns To Tragedy After Heroic 9/11 Work", CBS News, February 24, 2006. Accessed September 12, 2008.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYT2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Editorial. "Hirsch must explain" Archived September 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Daily News, November 29, 2007. Accessed September 15, 2008.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYT20071026 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).