NEW YORK, NY April 28, 2006 —The National Health Coordinator tracking the effects of 9/11 says the government needs to learn from mistakes made in the past and not repeat them.

REPORTER: Dr. John Howard met with New York lawmakers today who are calling for a federal plan to address concerns over the recent deaths of 3 first responders. This comes two weeks after a New Jersey Medical Examiner declared the death of NYPD Detective James Zadroga related to his exposure to Ground Zero toxins.

Dr. Howard says he has not yet seen tissue samples and other findings from the examiners report. But he does say this case as well as others concern him.

HOWARD: The persistence of that type of sypmtomology and mental distress and muscular-skeletal issues the persistence now 5 years later is worrisome.

REPORTER: Dr. Howard says his department will develop a centralized database within the next few months to track cases like Zadroga's and look for patterns.