A Sept. 11 first responder from Lindenhurst was posthumously honored Saturday after he passed away from an illness stemming from the terrorist attack.

Former Bellmore-Merrick EMS Capt. Kevin Kelly was named chief of department and a lifetime member. The department says Kelly rushed to New York City quickly after the attack and saved at least two lives. He spent more than a week at Ground Zero.

He later suffered from multiple lung conditions and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kelly died in December 2014.

The department's chief Scott Resnik says Kelly was a true hero on Sept. 11 and remains an inspiration to many.

Resnik says Kelly's death is a reminder that Congress should vote to extend the Zadroga Act, which provides monitoring and treatment for first responders who were sickened in the days and months after the attack. Congress allowed that program to expire earlier this month.