Comparing the air in nearby offices to what the responders were breathing is apples and oranges.
Wait until this thing comes to a head...I was down there and the stench was strong in offices, which were also coated with the dust. I’d note that there are also several schools in the area.
Most of the workers on the pile were/are unionized as are the teachers in the nearby schools. The folks in the surrounding offices aren’t unionized, but a lot of them are high paid professionals, investment bankers, brokers, etc.
In short — the folks either on the pile or very close to the pile have extremely deep pockets and are not afraid to raise a fuss.