OUR APRIL MEETING-VERY INFORMATIVE

The Brooklyn Meeting held the night of April 28th, 2026 was one of the most interesting meetings of the year. Attended by only 45 members, well they got an earful. Many Board members were there; the list included-

Vinnie Doherty (Trustee), Mike O'Keeffe (Editor), Paul Mallery (Treasurer),

Richie Fuerch (Asst. Editor) "Welcome Back, Richie", Jimmy Hayhurst (President) and yours truly, Bill Schillinger (Website Mgr.)

Jimmy started off by welcoming everyone and standing for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by moments of silence. A separate moment of silence was held for Donna Dempsey wife of Dan Dempsey who is a member of the Executive Board of the Emerald Society. Her funeral arrangements can be viewed by clicking here: Mrs. Donna E. Dempsey | Fairchild Sons Funeral Home

Jimmy then reminded everyone to recruit new members.

"We need more new members because many of our existing members are moving on to the next plateau" Please ask any of your friends to join us.

You can be our personal recruiters. Jimmy then asked for donations for Building Homes for Heroes, of which he is heavily involved with.

Jimmy then gave us an update on "Marianne Pizzitola's", continuing battle with protecting our Healthcare. She now has a bill in the New York State Senate #9945 which will protect our Healthcare just like Our Pensions are protected up there. Again she needs donations to help continue the fight. A similar bill is in the City Council #1096 with the help of Council Member Marte it will be re-introduced and hopefully be protected in NYC. The Senate Bill would protect us in New York State.

To donate to her (our) cause go to https://www.nycretirees.org/

Jimmy then mentioned that the Mayor wants to "borrow" some money from our 4 Billion Dollar Bank. "Hands Off Mayor Mondani" should be our next slogan for the mayor. Hands Off our Healthcare too. Let's see what the Unions will say...Hey did you get your Medicare Part B Reimbursement yet? Well you should have gotten it the 2nd week of April in your direct deposit account.

Also you need to register every year for your IRMAA Refund, unlike the Medicare Part B Reimbursement which you only have to register once. Yes there are refunds that are coming your way but you must register.

Part B:Next year the refund will increase from $4400 per couple to $4845.00

So go to our Medicare Page on www.fdnyrma.org and register!

~~~

The meeting continued with a bevy of Guest Speakers that included:

Lauren Sheets discussing Esogard which is a test that you take to see

if you have further damage of your Esophagus.Michael Barasch and Staff discussing the benefits of the World Trade Center Health Fund and related subjects pertaining to 9-11-01 andRob Cefoli (E-211 Retired) discussing his organization FYR Tribe.

See below for what the Guest Speakers had to say:

MINUTES OF THE BROOKLYN MEETING 4/28/26

Our first Guest Speaker: Lauren Sheets to discuss "Esoguard"

Lauren Sheets was our first Guest Speaker. She was there to discuss a test you can take to diagnose any damage to your esophagus by swallowing a pill which allows a small camera to take pictures of the inside of your esophagus. She was very informative in explaining this new procedure. The test does not have to be done in a doctor's office. A meeting can be arranged with a group where this could be held, say before the next meeting.

You can also go to their website and register. You will need to be a little computer savy to register for you will have to take pictures of your Insurance Cards and submit them.

Lauren is scheduled to come back to the June Meeting where she wants to get the word out to more of our members. Maybe then we can all register with her and then set up a meeting to get the test done. Through Medicare the test only costs $10.00.

To register go to: https://www.esoguard.com/

TO SEE WHAT THE TEST INVOLVES,

GO TO THIS LINK FROM YOU TUBE:

EsoGuard Procedure – What to Expect

Our 2nd Speaker at the Brooklyn Meeting:

Michael Barasch and Staff Update Us on the WTC Health Fund

Richie Alles, pictured to the left of Jimmy Hayhurst, Michael Barasch, Lee London and Bridget Gormley, was the first speaker of the night from their firm. Richie urged all retirees to get and stay involved in a Retirees Group such as the RMA for which he had high praise. Do what Jimmy said to do and talk to your fellow retirees and tell them to join wherever they may hail from. The RMA E-newsletter is very informative and will keep you up to date with what is going on with that specific organization as well as with Barasch McGarry and your Healthcare. He also told our membership to continue to see your dermatologist to keep an eye on your skin cancer which is the number one cancer out there, "Melanoma!" See your doctors regularly, every 6 months and of course attend your WTC Physical yearly. Richie gave us the true fact regarding how long your wife would still receive your pension if you die from a World Trade Center related disease, it's only 25 years from the date of your retirement, NOT when you got re-classified-it's from your original retirement date! Also if you do get re-classified make sure its registered with NIOSH. Any ailments you have should be listed with them. When you see your WTC Doctor after your WTC Physical at Fort Totten make sure he or she lists you with NIOSH. Make sure your wife knows to put those ailments on your Death Certificate too if you should die from say "Cancer". This is imperative! (Jimmy Hayhurst also mentioned that if the husband should pass that the wife needs to re-register for Catastrophic Insurance, also your kids can get their own plan when they turn 30) For other questions Call Richie directly at Barasch McGarry (212) 385-8000...Lee London was the next speaker Lee urged any member that did not sign up to sign-up and never wave your rights.

He also re-reminded everyone to keep up to date with all of your doctors, early detection is the key in this battle. (I, personally go to see my dermatologist twice a year, in May before the summer months and in October after the summer)... Next up we heard from Michael Barasch who also urged everyone to see their doctors and to attend the WTC Annual Physical. He himself has had to battle Prostate Cancer so make sure you see a Urologist twice a year for early detection of any cancer. The blood test that you get at your WTC Annual includes a PSA Test which is a marker for Prostate Cancer. If you have anyquestions,

Call the firm! (Thank You Mike for going to Wash DC 14 times to make sure our Healthcare is protected under the WTC Bill!)

Our 3rd Guest Speaker at Our Brooklyn Meeting 4/28/26

Rob Cefoli (Ret. E-211)

Rob returned to talk about his organization https://fyrtribe.org/

"FYR TRIBE" Their Mission:

OUR GOAL IS TO NURTURE A CULTURE OF EMPATHY, HEALING, AND PROACTIVE SUPPORT FOR BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OF FIRST RESPONDERS AND THEIR NETWORKS

WE ARE DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING THESE INDIVIDUALS TO ADDRESS & RELEASE TRAUMA, MANAGE STRESS, AND ADOPT HEALTHIER LIFESTYLES

They have monthly workshops to battle the effects of many years of stress and trauma that we as NYC Firefighters faced over the years. The 25th Anniversary of 9-11 is one of those stress factors that we faced and carry the PTSD till this day though we may not show it, it's there deep down inside of us and any other situations that you may have faced through your long-term careers. Rob is here to help you cope with that through a procedure he calls "TRE": "TENSION, "RELEASE" and "EXERCISE". He went on to say he doesn't want to charge anyone so he is trying to raise money to keep this service free of charge. Go to the website to donate.

End of Guest Speakers, Jimmy then had the floor;

He informed us that the Job will be putting 154 names up on the Monument at Metrotech on June 9th. They will be arranged by Boro. They are the names of the members that have passed from exposure due to 9-11...

Mike O'Keeffe then reminded everyone that if you have or know someone with Special Needs to get in touch with the Special Needs Organization within the Job. Go to this website: https://www.fdnyspecialneeds.org/

The 50/50 Raffle then took place, 3 awards were handed out; $100.00, $50.00 and $50.00. then Chow was called. All members remarked on how good the meeting was. See you all in June on 6/30/26 at the Elk's Club in New Hyde Park...

[Minutes Submitted 11:25am 4/30/26 by Bill Schillinger]

FEBRUARY 2026 MEETING MINUTES

After President Jimmy Hayhurst led us in the Pledge of Allegiance,

we continued standing for moments of silence for those who have passed since our last meeting and for all World Trade Center related deaths.

Jimmy then asked all to keep Mark Dzieman in their prayers. Mark

continues to breathe on his own but shows no signs of brain activity.

Let's all pray for a Miracle!

Jimmy then asked for donations to Building Homes for Heroes by passing around an envelope for members to make donations.

BH4H has built 460 homes for our returning war heroes and will complete by year's end their 500th home. Visit their website to donate to this great cause!

Jimmy then introduced our first speaker to the 61 members that showed up;

Dominick DeRubbio-Executive Director of the FDNY Fire Museum

{Dominick R. DeRubbio is a lifelong New Yorker with deep ties to the New York City Fire Department. His three uncles and father all served in the FDNY and his uncle, David P. DeRubbio, was killed in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001. Mr. DeRubbio is a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fire and emergency management studies. He also served as an adjunct lecturer at the college for multiple semesters. Mr. DeRubbio is a member of the National Fire Protection Association, Association of Safety Professionals, International Society for Respiratory Protection, Fire and Life Safety Director’s Association of Greater New York, and the Fire Bell Club of New York. Prior to assuming the position of director, he managed a New York based health and safety consulting firm, where he provided occupational health and safety services, with a concentration in fire safety planning, education and training.}

Dominick requested volunteers to come to the Museum and help

with a few tasks. If you are interested get in touch with him.

He would like to have a list of Vollys when the Museum opens up

to the Public. He once relied on retired FDNY firefighters, who assisted in conducting our children's fire safety tours and sharing the rich history of New York City's Bravest with visitors from all over the world. We believe volunteers are the heart and soul of the Museum.

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer, please submit your interest via our contact form.

Dominick went on to say:

We hope to open in just two short months; Yes April of 2026!

Progress in the Building:

They plan to dedicate the 2nd floor to a Library and our 3,000 square foot third floor is rented for private functions ranging from corporate meetings to weddings and other parties. We also have special children’s “Junior Firefighter” birthday party packages.

We are a Not for Profit Organization, we accept donations.

To Donate, >Click Here<

FEBRUARY MEETING MINUTES (cont'd)

Our next guest speaker was Jake LeMonda from the UFOA.

Jake opened up by informing us all that Jack Hughes' (Hero of the

USA Hockey Team and dedicated forward of the NJ Devils)

Grandfather was a retired BC from the 46 Battalion.

He then told us that the recent "New" Pre-Medicare Health

Plan was under the control of United Healthcare. He said it

had an abundance of Doctors waiting to assist you.

Regarding Express Scripts, they recently reduced the

Co-pay from 100% to 60%.

(Editor's Note: Those of us in Medicare should keep

their receipts if you had to pay a Co-pay since last year,

Marianne is involved in a court case to defeat the Co-pay.

She said you will be able to get a refund once the

decision is rendered in our favor)

Jake continued, The Dental Program continues to

thrive. Now $2500.00 per tooth.

~~~~

Our Next Guest Speaker was Mike O'Connell. Mike was pleased to announce that the WTC Health Care Program is in full force till 2035. Thru the efforts of Barasch/McGarry and many other people, and by making 20 trips to Washington DC; HR 1410 Passed!

Mike went on to say to go out and get checked for Skin Cancer which is the number 1 form of cancer and that it is preventable-Go See a dermatologist to get checked up. Another Good Person to see is Rob Brown and take the free tests that he offers....

Jimmy then spoke about the Trip to Albany which is run by Marianne Pizzitola. The trip goes to Albany for the day (3/24/26). She is fighting for us. She also wants all of us to keep your receipts when you pay a co-pay at your doctor for the year of 2022 to 2023. She has hope that you will be refunded this money but just for that year.

To sign up for the Bus Click Here:> www.nycretirees.org

To Donate, send your check to:

NYC Retirees

C/o JSH Accounting

PO Box 143538

Fayetteville, GA 30214

~~~

Mary Travers spoke next.

Mary currently works for the FDNY. Previously, she worked for the UFOA and the IAFF. She discussed a few important topics:

Medicare Part B and IRMAA Reimbursement: Recent retirees may be unaware that the city reimburses Medicare Part B expenses for retirees and their spouses. The 2026 Medicare Part B monthly base premium is $202.90 per month per person. Some people pay more than this under IRMAA (The Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount). The federal government bases your Medicare Part B cost on your modified adjustable gross income (MAGI) from two years earlier. For tax year 2025, IRMAA applies to you if your 2023 MAGI was over $106K for individuals or over $212K for couples. Retirees who receive a required minimum distribution (RMD) often fall into this category. You only need to file for regular Part B reimbursement once, but IRMAA reimbursement requires you to file annually. You can go back and file for the past three years if you missed either reimbursement. See our website for forms and additional information. We also have a link to nyc.gov/olr which is the primary source.

Catastrophic Insurance

Many retirees have retained their catastrophic insurance policies. There are many benefits that are unknown to policyholders that are not mentioned in the policy documents you received from the insurance company. Note the following:

· The policy covers the member, the spouse and children under 30.

· UFA members often pay the premium through a pension deduction. This stops upon the death of the member. It is critical that the premium payments continue to ensure coverage for surviving family members. The company will not notify you that the premium is due. Call them at 800-503-9230.

· Once the member (or a family member) or their medical insurance pays over $10K for a medical event, catastrophic insurance will reimburse medical costs for that person for the next three years (co-pays, medications, etc).

· There is a benefit for convalescent care and for home health aides who are hired through an agency.

· To get started, call AMDA, the plan administrator, at 800-503-9230. State that you are opening a claim and request a claim form.

Death of Member

Notify Fire Dept Operations Center at 718-999-xxxx. They will make other notifications, including to the Ceremonial Unit for funeral honor guard.

Contact the union: UFA 212-683-4832 UFOA 212-376-8400

When member dies, the health insurance stops for the spouse. The UFA pays for COBRA for one year. COBRA is available to be purchased by any surviving spouse for life.

If the member had any 9/11 health conditions, it is important that they somehow get mentioned on the death certificate. Item 1 will probably say member’s heart stopped. Items 2-4 should contain any WTC-related condition that could have been a contributing factor.

Misc Info

Members who retired prior to 9/11/01 but who died due to WTC-related illnesses are considered “volunteers.” The surviving spouse is not eligible for a WTC pension but can file with the Victims Compensation Fund (VCF). There are plans to establish a separate wall at HQ to honor the volunteers.

If you retired prior to 2008 for lung disability, check your pension letter. You were probably put out under the lung bill. You should have that changed to indicate a WTC disability, because of the extra benefits you may be entitled to.

You can see more info. on this website. Go to the Health Care Page and read under the heading of: FUNERAL DECISIONS AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE...

She then informed us about what the wife would get if you died from a WTC Related Disease, she would get your pension. However, you would have to die within 25 years of your date of Retirement or your date of Re-Classification.

{Minutes Respectfully submitted by

Mike O'Keeffe & Bill Schillinger}

MINUTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 25th, 2025 MEETING

It was a Rainy Night in Brooklyn, but 47 members braved the inclement weather to attend the Brooklyn Meeting.

Executive Board members present: Jimmy Hayhurst, Mike O'Keeffe,

Bill Romaka, Paul Mallery and myself.

We began at 8pm with the Pledge of Allegiance. Our #1 Guest of Honor;

FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker led us in the Pledge,

after which we paused for a moment of silence for

Lt. Patrick Brady who died in the line of duty. Jimmy then remembered

the 413 who have passed from exposure from 9-11, since 9-11-01.

The Commissioner then informed the 47 that he will soon retire

from the FDNY. He then stated how honored he was to be

the FDNY Fire Commissioner and to be a part of the best job in

the world. He recalled growing up and buffing fire scenes

in his early childhood, then later in life to wear the FDNY Patch.

He hopes the FDNY can endure in the next administration. "You

will be in good hands when Mark Guerra takes over on 12/19/25.

He will be the interim Fire Commissioner until our New Mayor

has to make the decision to keep Mark or appoint a new FC.

He then went on to praise the supporting staff of the FDNY;

from Fire Dispatchers to Firefighters and then of course up the Ranks,

all the knowledgeable Officers to his staff at Metrotech.

He will stay with the FDNY Foundation and looks forward to

helping people that way instead of under a microscope.

He added that the best days of the FDNY are ahead of us.

The young Chiefs that are now in charge have a bright

outlook on the job. The FDNY is in good hands.

"Remember always leave it better then when you found it",

which is something I hope I did.

To all the retirees that are here tonight, "You all helped

build the FDNY, be proud of the job you did."

Now a Q n A followed:

First question- What's the status of EMS?

FC: EMS is in the crisis stage. It needs guidance to

continue to help with public safety. EMS answers over

1 million calls per year. EMS is woefully underpaid.

Most if not all EMS personnel choose to promote

to the Rank of Firefighter. They need equal pay so

the job will be more appealing, and they will stay and

eventually become Paramedics, another increase in pay.

Also, the issue concerning Cross Training, when a member who has been

in EMS promotes to Firefighter. When that member goes back to

EMS he only learns about CFR-D training. They need to change

that and have them have refresher courses in EMT and Paramedic

Training.

The FC was asked about the New List. Currently there are 200

probies left in the class which started at 400. This was an experiment

to have a larger class. He was unsure of when the New List would start.

A question came up about the 68 boxes of Health Data that

had just been recovered. He wasn't sure of the details, but he stated

that it was a shame because if that data was available it could

have helped someone from dying, and to that it was a disgrace.

Thanks to the RMA for allowing me to say Goodbye...

(A standing ovation followed for the Commish)

We took a short 10 minute break, after which Jimmy brought up

some other issues.

He reminded all of the demise of Lt. Mark Dzieman who is still

in a coma after suffering a heart attack at a job.

Anything you can donate to help Mark and his family is greatly appreciated. Go to this page to help>Upcoming Events Page<

Jimmy then asked members to donate to

Building Homes for Heroes.

11/25/25 MINUTES CONTINUED

The next issue on the agenda was all about the Medicare Disadvantage issue,

of which Maryanne Pizzitola is heavily involved with. There are a few lawsuits still going on, so Donations to her organization is greatly appreciated.

Click here to donate: Donation Form

Now even though you are currently paying a co-pay when you visit

the doctor, please keep your receipts for that payment, because

you may one day get that refunded back to you. That issue is still in

litigation. Marianne stated that nothing major will change in the near future.

Jimmy then did a roll call of Executive Board Members present and thanked all for their hard work. He told everyone of our great website and NEWSLETTER. He mentioned that 3 new members joined tonight.

MIKE O'KEEFFE then told everyone about the

Homeless Shelter in the Bronx which is ran by Mike Donlon. They have

secured parking and the security is tight, so if you want to help,

Call Mike at (917) 733-4664. Mike also reminded us of the statue

destined for Fort Totten which is a go by all except the

Parks Dept. The Parks Dept. is the only Roadblock to this issue...

Tommy Chang then spoke about the Fire Riders, to urge

members to buy a chance. Go to NYC Fire Riders MC - New York City Fire Dept, Motorcycle to donate...

Jimmy reminded all of the Burn Center Outing to be held at the:

Welcome to Plattduetsche Park | German Restaurant, Events and Catering

on Monday Dec. 1st, 2025 from 7-10pm. $80.00 Donation p/p

Jimmy then gave up the floor to Lt. Joe LaPointe:

A standing ovation greeted Joe who recently retired just 2 months ago.

Formerly a member of Ladder 114 and an Officer in the 40 Bn.

Joe went on to "invent" the Ceremonial Unit after 9-11.

Jimmy then gave up the floor to Lt. Joe LaPointe.

Joe received a standing ovation and much deserved, after all

he invented the Ceremonial Unit after 9-11.

Chief Nick Santangelo summoned him to help with this

Monumental Task. Arranging Funerals & Memorials

and giving each member the proper sendoff.

He applauded all for the good turn outs at each service.

Rabbi Potasnick was an inspiration to him as well as the

interim Chaplains. The Funerals go on, 413 so far since 9-11-01.

He credits Dominique Joseph from the Family Assistance Unit

with her hard and loyal work. She continues to help all

of the families affected by 9-11.

High praise for the Fire Family Transport Foundation

A new way to identify a member who has succumbed

from the effects of exposure to 9-11 dust:

"65-3" WTC Related death, he/she gets a 9-11 Funeral.

(If you think that your loved one died as a result of

exposure you may request an autopsy to prove it)

Currently in the Ceremonial Unit, there are 400 members.

All of the new personnel are doing a great job.

He praised Commissioner Tucker for his help with the CM.

Joe then gave up the floor to Dominique Joseph after much applause.

DJ has worked tirelessly for the last 14 years, working hand in hand

with Joe. She has worked to coordinate Cancer Treatment

of members during that time. (Tommy Chang chimed in and

Thanked her when he went thru his cancer treatments)

She made sure everyone had help with the daunting task

of going thru Chemo and Radiation. She also praised the Fire Family Transport Foundation for their coordinated efforts as well

as Doctor Kelly, Fight for Firefighters & the American Cancer Society,

She received much applause.

Joe added if you want the Ceremonial Unit at a service to

call (718) 999-7900. (On a personal note I was at a Funeral Service

for a retired BC who died at the age of 91 and the Ceremonial Unit

showed up with 5 members-quite impressive)

Joe is confident that more diseases will be added to the WTC

list. Dementia should be added soon.

There's a new wall in Metrotech for those that volunteered

in the cleanup after 9-11. Those members will be added.

The wall should be completed by May of 2026.

Joe stayed along with DJ and enjoyed the food and

refreshments. Jimmy asked all to recruit new members.

Our membership list continues to lose members each month.

We need new blood!

Bring a friend to the next meeting which will be a Daytime Meeting

on Tuesday Feb. 24th, 2026 at 11:00am to be held

at the Elk's Club 901 Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park, NY.

Our next Brooklyn Meeting will be held April 28th, 2026 at 7:30pm.

"Chows On" as Jimmy called out but not before

we selected the winners of the 50/50.

Many Thanks to Paul Mallery, our Treasurer for running the Raffle.

Three prizes were awarded: $150, $100 and $100.

Meeting Concluded.

Minutes Finally Submitted 12:30pm 11/30/25

by Bill Schillinger (Media Manager)

Retired Member's Association,
Fire Dept.City of NY