Bruce Hydock didn’t want to retire.
By the time he hung up his gear for good, the FDNY EMS captain had already survived testicular cancer and lived with lung disorders for more than a decade, all of it attributed to the time he spent at ground zero following the 9/11 terror attacks. But after a year on medical leave following a kidney cancer diagnosis, the FDNY’s pulmonologist told Hydock a few months ago that he had no choice but to retire, rest and try to heal.
With his lung illnesses — including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that requires him to take a daily dose of steroids and use a continuous positive airway pressure machine every night — two cancers certified as World Trade Center-related and the FDNY forcing him to retire for health reasons, Hydock, 54, was sure that he would qualify for disability retirement benefits through the New York City Employees Retirement System pension fund…