It was a harbinger of 9/11. 26 years before 9/11, close to 700 FDNY’ers responded to the NY Telephone Exchange fire at 2nd & 13th streets, many collapsing on the street from breathing in toxins. Phone workers were told “the air is safe” and days later went back in to get phone service back . So many fell ill over the years from cancers as a result, including now retired FDNY’er Danny Noonan, who despite his leukemia diagnoses 5 months before 9/11, worked on the pile after 9/11. He now also suffers fom 9/11 cancer on TOP of his leukemia from the fire of ’75.