WEST NEW YORK, NJ - On the morning of April 13th, just hours after North Hudson Regional firefighters, and numerous mutual aid fire units from a total of five counties operated at two major fires in Union City and Weehawken, federal, state and local officials assembled at the regional department's headquarters for a press conference to bring attention to the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act.

Officials included Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr., a long-time supporter of the fire service. Also on had were Sen. Bob Menendez and Rep. Rob Menendez., who were welcomed by North Hudson Chief of Department David Donnarumma.   

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act aims to provide federal cancer benefits to firefighters and their families. The act would “rightfully recognize the job-related roots of cancer for first responders by providing presumptive benefits for occupational cancer under the PSOB program”.

Also discussed was the renewing of S.870 (The Fire Grants and Safety Act). This is a bill that would reauthorize FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program and the U.S. Fire Administration. 

In attendance, with his family, was Edward Diaz, who is a firefighter with the Meadowlands Fire Department, and he is a volunteer firefighter in Hasbrouck Heights. His father, Eduardo, was a Union City firefighter and captain with the North Hudson regional department. The captain passed away six years ago from pancreatic cancer. 

The young Diaz firefighter joined federal officials at the podium and thanked them for their support. He recently took the civil service exam for the NHRFR, to follow in his father's footsteps. At the end of the ceremony, he and Rep. Pascrell gave each other a big hug.