Ruben was an instructor at the FDNY-EMS Academy and a member of the international competition team, winning awards in the United States, Australia, and abroad. He represented the best of EMS, known as New York City's BEST. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Ruben, like many other first responders, had operated at the scene of the country's worst terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. And, like many of his fellow responders, he spent countless hours at the site searching for the remains of victims and his co-workers in the months to follow. In the years following the attack, Ruben developed a rare blood disorder that was directly connected to his time spent at ground zero. |