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| The Chaplain is reading... 102 Minutes Eyewitness and first hand accounts of those who shared the 102 minutes inside the WTC on the morning of September 11. Ordinary citizens who reported to work on an ordinary day and ended up in the center of the extraordinary. The Chaplain has read... Last Man Down by Richard Picciotto FDNY Deputy Chief Richard Picciotto recounts his experience of the morning of September 11, 2001, when he responded to the North Tower of the WTC and survived being buried in the rubble of the collapse. Firefighter Rescue and Survival by Richard Kolomay and Robert Hoff A great book that teaches RIT practices and firefighter safety and survival skills from a proactive perspective. Methods and procedures are outlined in picture and diagram. Report from Ground Zero by Dennis Smith: Plume Books The New York Times Bestseller on the events of September 11, 2001; delving into the spiritual, physical, and emotional side of the New York firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency personnel and first responders who bravely rushed into the World Trade Center at 8:46 am that morning as thousands of civilians were running out. A minute by minute account of one of the most tragic, terrifying, and yet heroic periods in American history and in the history of firefighting... Also Recommended.... 9/11 DVD From the Back Cover On the morning of September 11, 2001, brothers Jules and Gedeon Naudet were working on a documentary about a rookie New York City firefighter. Hearing a roar in the sky, Jules turned his camera upward--just in time to film the only existing image of the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center. In a fateful instant, Jules and Gedeon became eyewitnesses to the most shocking and defining incident of our time. With cameras rolling, the Naudets followed NYC firefighters into the heart of what would be known as Ground Zero. What emerged is an unforgettably powerful visual document and a stirring tribute to real-life heroes who, in their city's darkest hour, rose to extraordinary acts of courage and compassion. From the Chaplain... Another powerful documentary piece of history that goes deeper than media coverage to look into the fears, hopes, bravery, and tragedy of the NYFD on September 11, 2001. A human look at the brave souls who rush in when others rush out... |
















































Are You Experiencing Critical Incident Stress? Every time the tones drop, each Emergency Responder has the potential of encountering, or being overcome by, critical incident stress. "Critical Incident Stress" arises from seeing, feeling, emotionally attaching to, or experiencing personal trauma or trauma inflicted upon others. If a responder comes upon a car accident involving a child, and they have a child or children of similar age at home; they are more susceptible to critical incident stress. If a responder makes decisions on the fire ground that he or she later perceives to have caused, or failed to prevent, the death or injury of a victim, he or she may suffering critical incident stress. The injury or death of a fellow firefighter may bring on critical incident stress. Sometimes the emotional after-shocks (or stress reactions) appear immediately after the traumatic event. Sometimes they may appear a few hours or a few days later. And, in some cases, weeks or months may pass before the stress reactions appear. The signs and symptoms of a stress reaction may last a few days, a few weeks or a few months and occasionally longer, depending on the severity of the traumatic event. With understanding and the support of loved ones, the stress reactions usually pass more quickly. Occasionally, the traumatic event is so painful that professional assistance from a counselor may be necessary. This does not imply craziness or weakness. It simply indicates that the particular event was just too powerful for the person to manage by themselves. Here are some very common signs and signals of a stress reaction: Symptoms of Critical Incident Stress are as follows: PHYSICAL: Fatigue, thirst, headaches, visual difficulties, vomiting, grinding of teeth, weakness, dizziness, profuse sweating, chills, rapid heart rate, nausea, muscle tremors, twitches, chest pain, * difficulty breathing, elevated blood pressures, * shock symptoms, fainting, etc. (*Indicates the need for medical evaluation). COGNITIVE:(AFFECTING THOUGHTS): blaming someone, confusion, poor attention, poor decisions, heightened or lowered alertness, poor concentration, memory problems, hyper-vigilance, difficulty identifying familiar objects/people, increased or decreased awareness of surroundings, poor problem solving, poor abstract thinking, loss of time, place, or person orientation, disturbed thinking, nightmares, intrusive images, etc. EMOTIONAL: anxiety, guilt, grief, denial, severe panic (rare), emotional shock, fear, uncertainty, loss of emotional control, depression, inappropriate emotional response, apprehension, feeling overwhelmed, intense anger, irritability, agitation, etc. BEHAVIORAL: change in activity, change in speech patterns, withdrawal, emotional outbursts, suspiciousness, change in usual communications, loss or increase of appetite, alcohol consumption, inability to rest, antisocial acts, nonspecific bodily complaints, hyper- alertness to environment, intensification of startle reflex, pacing, erratic movements, change in sexual functioning, etc. What should you do? YOU YOURSELF: * Within the first 24-48 hours, periods of strenuous physical exercise. * Structure your time—keep busy. * You are normal and having normal reactions. Don’t label yourself crazy. * Talk to people. Talk is the most healing medicine. * Be aware of numbing the pain with overuse of drugs or alcohol. You don’t need to complicate this with a substance abuse problem. * Reach out—people do care. * Maintain as normal a schedule as possible. * Spend time with others. * Help your co-workers as much as possible by sharing feelings and checking out how they are doing. * Give yourself permission to feel rotten and share your feeling with others. * Keep a journal, write your way through those sleepless hours. * Do things that feel good to you. * Realize that those around you are under stress. * Don’t make any big life changes. * Do make as many daily decisions as possible which will give you a feeling of control over your life, i.e., if someone asks you what you want to eat—answer them, even if you aren’t sure. * Get plenty of rest. * Recurring thoughts, dreams, or flashbacks are normal— don’t try to fight them—they’ll decrease over time and become less painful. * Eat well-balanced and regular meals (even if you don’t feel like it). FOR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS 1. Listen carefully and spend time with the person who is hurting. 2. Offer your assistance and a listening ear even if they have not asked for help. 3. Reassure them that they are safe. 4. Help them with everyday tasks like cleaning, cooking, caring for the family, minding children. 5. Give them some private time. 6. Don’t take their anger or other feelings personally. 7. Don’t tell them that they are "lucky it wasn’t worse" —traumatized people aren’t consoled by that. Tell them you’re sorry this event has occurred and that you want to understand and help. Critical Incident Stress is real and affects first responders in many different ways. As firefighters, we should never be too proud to participate in Critical Stress Debriefings following a death on the fireground or other traumatic incident. Those few moments of connecting to one another or saying what you feel can be as critical as the golden hour in saving a life----YOUR OWN. WebSource Drawn from material developed by the Allegheny Crisis Intervention Team, Pittsburgh, PA, with direct quotes from their webpage as linked above. |













| The Rush Words of Reflection by Rev. Jeff Wargo, Chaplain Recently, Engine 42 was dispatched to one of our local residences where a fully involved, yet unoccupied, car fire was in progress. Several of us had been at the property prior to the call, watching a demolition derby at the invitation of the property owner. There were about 300 other people there. In the middle of the race, one of the cars dropped its oil pan...a fire began in the undercarriage and, before long, the car was smoking. In an effort to extinguish the flames, someone flipped the car with a payloader. The flames got worse. Then the car was righted and dirt was dumped on the vehicle. The fire extended into the cab. At this point, the car became fully involved. Crowds drew closer when they should have been backing away and the tires on the car began to blow. It wasn't long before the tones dropped and several of us raced to the station to catch our first out Engine and respond to the fire. Since I have been on the company, we have never responded to an incident before only to be greeted by a standing ovation and wide audience. We pulled the engine up and packed up, pulling a hoseline and attacking the fire as trained. In time, the flames went out, the car was tipped, and they roared back again. A second attack commenced, followed by overhaul and, finally, the incident cleared. As we were packing up our equipment, the adrenalin and emotional rush of the event kicked in. Children were asking for our pictures, folks we all knew pretty well were applauding our actions, and it almost seemed as if we were celebrities. There's a draw for the average citizen and children--it is an intangible draw that brings an adrenalin rush to them when they see a fire and firefighters. It's similar to the rush we feel when attacking the flames, but their rush is mixed with one of gratitude and thankfulness. It would be easy for one to become grandiose in such a situation. For me, and for the other guys on that run, it was pretty clear that we were just doing what we do. For those watching, we were doing something extraordinary. Someone once told me that the world is very small. Everywhere you go, you're not far away from someone who knows you or knows someone who knows you. You are always being judged by how you appear before others. For firefighters, the important message here is this: We should always be aware that we are being watched and that our actions reflect not only on us but on the waves of firefighters that have come before us and will come after. How we handle ourselves, may draw others to the service we share--or turn their support away from us. In the midst of the rush, there should be a sense of humility--at how blessed we are to be able to do the job we do--at how respected we are for doing the job we do--and at how fragile that respect can be. May our rush of adrenalin always be accompanied by a rush of humility...for that is one mark of a true servant to others. |









