A fundraiser has been announced for March 31, 2012 at the East Meadow Firefighter’s Benevolent Hall for Ray Pfeifer, an ex-captain of the East Meadow Fire Department (EMFD) Engine Co. 3 “Pride of the Meadow” and 26 year member of FNDY Engine Co. 40 and Ladder Co. 35, to help with the costs associated with his treatments for cancer and other illnesses suffered after working on the September 11, 2001 rescue operation.
A 26-year FDNY veteran; Pfeifer lost 12 men from his firehouse on 9/11 and was part of the extensive rescue operation that followed the towers falling. Pfeifer worked at the 9/11 site from the September 11, 2001 to May 2002. Years later, he began suffering from cancer related to his work at the World Trade Center site. Currently Pfeifer is battling stage four Hypernephroma and is under-going extensive cancer treatments which are no longer being covered by his insurance company due to “exhaustion” of the coverage. In addition, the 9/11 memorial fund does not cover cancer care for rescue workers.
A Hicksville resident, born and raised in Levittown and a 40-year member of the East Meadow Fire Department, Pfeifer has been committed to helping those in need his entire life. Now, the Long Island Community, friends and family are coming together to support him.
The fundraiser will run on March 31 from 2-8 p.m. at the East Meadow Firefighters’ Benevolent Hall. Admission is $40. For additional information on the benefit, visit the event’s website at FriendsForRay.com.
Ray has been serving the City of New York as an FDNY Firefighter since 1987. Uncommonly, Ray has served all 25 of those years assigned to one company, Engine Company 40 (housed with Ladder Company 35) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. In 2001, like many other firefighters, Ray was deeply committed in the recovery operations at the World Trade Center, which concluded in May of 2002. Ray was not only searching for the thousands of missing civilians or hundreds of missing firemen, but the 12 men from his firehouse that he had known so closely. A few months after the recovery effort concluded, Ray left the firehouse and went on to play an integral role in the formation of the FDNY Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness. Through Ray’s determination, talent and skill, the FDNY has fostered several interagency initiatives, including the ability to stream video feeds from media helicopters to FDNY headquarters, and the creation of the FDNY Command Tactical Vehicle, which gives the department the ability to transmit its own video feeds from an incident to FDNY headquarters.
During his fight, Ray’s insurance has been exhausted and the costly treatments that he must undergo now fall on Ray and his family. All proceeds raised are going directly to Ray Pfeifer and his family to help offset the heavy cost of his treatments.
