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Many workers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and will be scarred for life by their experience on Sept. 11.
By Gregory N. Heires
A year after the terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center, many
union members who worked at Ground Zero are still haunted by the
barbaric event. They are beginning to recognize that they may be
battling searing memories for the rest of their lives.
Tragically, two Paramedics exposed to the horror that day committed
suicide.
Daniel Stewart hung himself in the basement of his Long Beach, L.I.
home, on June 7. James Kay shot himself Jan. 8 at his home on Staten
Island.
Coworkers attribute the EMS workers' decisions to kill themselves
partly to their difficulty in coping with the trauma of the Sept.
11, 2001, attack.
"We have seen a noticeable increase in stress-related situations
and signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder among our
ranks," said President Patrick J. Bahnken, president of Uniformed
EMTs and Paramedics Local 2507 "We have seen increases in drug
and alcohol incidents, confrontations on the job, and marital problems."
Since Sept. 11, Local 2507 has provided debriefing and counseling
support for virtually all of its members through its Peer Support
Team, which the union local set up several years ago after a number
of EMS workers committed suicide. Meanwhile, union officials fault
the Fire Dept. for dragging its feet in providing counseling service,
imposing a "zero tolerance" policy on substance abuse,
and rigidly disciplining workers for stress-related on-the-job incidents.
Immediately after Sept. 11, District Council 37's Personal Service
Unit began offering group and individual counseling to DC 37 members.
Trained counselors met with hundreds of members at job sites.
PSU continued the service in the ensuing months, and it provided
additional on-site counseling for 911 operators - Police Communications
Technicians and Supervising Police Communications Technicians represented
by Clerical-Administrative Local 1549—at
the one-year anniversary.
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The attack was particularly brutal
for the PCTs. On 9/11, they took frantic calls from people trapped
in the Twin Towers and struggled to dispatch emergency workers to
the scene amid unprecedented pressure and chaos. Forced to work
overtime, they also had to contend with worries about their own
children and other loved ones.
"The PCTs are really among the unsung heroes of 9/11,"
said Maryse Duvalsaint, a supervising social worker in PSU. "They
have shown tremendous strength and resilience."
The DC 37 Health and Safety Dept. helped the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health with a study of the physical
and mental health effects that 9/11 had on workers in the area.
An August interim report found that 24 percent of the workers at
the Borough of Manhattan Community College near Ground Zero experienced
depression and 15 percent exhibited symptoms of post-traumatic stress
disorder.
People who suffer from PTSD typically have difficulty sleeping and
feel emotionally detached or estranged. They often relive their
traumatic experience through nightmares and flashbacks. The disorder
is also associated with strained social relations, employment instability,
difficulty with parenting, and marital discord, including divorce.
Over 200 employees at the Fire Dept. are on leave because of stress
caused by their work at Ground Zero and the loss of coworkers and
family on Sept. 11. This summer, Ron Vega, a Local 375 member who
was part of the Dept. of Design and Construction's team of engineers
who oversaw the $1 billion cleanup at Ground Zero, was diagnosed
with post-traumatic stress.
Mr. Vega figured all along that he would be seriously troubled by
his exposure to bodies and body parts and the psychological weight
of working for months at what he viewed as giant gravesite, not
merely a construction site. What actually prompted him to seek counseling
was his loss of memory and loss of words.
"I realize that this is a lifetime illness, and the counseling
is helping me learn how to control the symptoms," Mr. Vega
said.
Also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress, EMT Joe Conzo sought
counseling two weeks after the event. He and his partner, EMT William
Trouccolo, were together near the World Trade Center when the first
tower collapsed.
"A few days ago I was driving on the Grand Central and the
planes were passing so low that I wanted to put both feet on the
brakes," said Mr. Conzo.
"I have a lot of trouble sleeping. Sometimes I am now fearful
of heights. My palms sweat when I get into an elevator in a large
building."
Mr. Truoccolo, who was swept up by a wind current and knocked unconscious
when the tower collapsed, suffered four broken ribs and a fractured
lower leg on Sept. 11. He was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center
by boat for treatment that day, and he was out of work for eight
weeks.
Mr. Truoccolo said he has trouble sleeping three or four nights
a week and describes himself as jittery. He recognizes that he exhibits
symptoms of PTSD, but so far, he has resisted his wife's suggestion
that he seek counseling.
"I eventually think I will get there," Mr. Truoccolo said.
"It can't hurt."
While not downplaying the gravity or depth of the psychological
scars of 9/11, Senior Psychologist Sharon Kahn, a Local 1189 member
who did volunteer work after the attack, noted that the incidence
of post-traumatic stress disorder appears to be lower than many
mental health experts predicted.
PSU Director Robert Terruso said any members or retirees seeking
help should contact PSU at (212) 815-1250 or Safe Horizon at (212)
557-7700.