| A week
before the TWA Flight 800 crash I had been speaking
with the coordinator for the New York State Psychological
Association Disaster/Crisis Response Network. We
were scheduling a second training session for First
Aid and CPR for the following Saturday, July 20.
I had been telling her that although I had received
the training for disaster response, I had never
participated in an actual response, due to my work
schedule. I mentioned to her that I was more readily
available during the summer months. The next Thursday
morning she called, advising me that TWA Flight
800 had crashed off the Long Island coast. She asked
me to go out to the East Moriches Command Center
where recovery efforts were underway.
I drove into East Moriches at 9:30
A.M. on a clear but hot Thursday morning. The weather
was in stark contrast to the morbid scene I was
anticipating. I had heard that bodies were being
brought into the East Moriches Coast Guard station
which was designated as the Command Center. As I
approached this small Long Island town, I could
feel the tension and apprehension within me mounting.
On Atlantic Avenue, I made a right turn and was
immediately stopped and requested to show identification.
This occurred at almost every intersection for the
remainder of the trip down to the shore line. As
I approached the beach area, there were numerous
T.V. news crews setting up their communication systems
in a field. I passed the last identification site,
parked my car and reported to the Red Cross team
leader.
My directions were to work with
the Red Cross staff as well as the Civil Defense
members. On the site there were numerous agencies
present ie. FBI, ATF, as well as local police agencies.
Surprisingly things were relatively calm at the
site. People mulled around waiting for their assignments;
people rested on cots which were set up on the porch;
Red Cross workers served beverages and food. In
addition to the numerous police agencies, there
were also divers, Coast Guard crews, helicopter
pilots and government officials.
As a mental health worker, it was
my job to speak to the Red Cross and Civil Defense
workers in order to assess their stress levels and
to enable them to express their feelings. If someone
seemed particularly in need of a break, I would
encourage them to take a few minutes for themselves.
In mingling with the people on site, I had the opportunity
to talk to Coast Guard and Merchant Marine crewmen
who were retrieving victims. We sat on the porch
and discussed their experience. The Coast Guard
worker was very young, and appeared physically and
emotionally exhausted. This experience was not one
he had anticipated when he had joined. The Merchant
Marine crewman was older and appeared resigned to
performing the task at hand. I told him that I would
be speaking with family members of the victims the
next day. He said "Tell them that we're treating
their loved ones with dignity and respect."
That evening, I received a call
to report to the Ramada Plaza at JFK at 8:00 A.M.
There was to be an orientation meeting followed
by work with family members of the victims. I arrived
early. People sat at tables in a large conference
room, drinking coffee, juice and talking. The mood
was somber. People spoke very quietly. Later in
the morning the families were addressed by members
of the National Traffic and Safety Bureau, as well
as by the Medical Examiner's Office. The families'
moods ranged from strong anger to deep despair.
All wanted to know how and when the remains of their
loved ones would be recovered. I spoke with a number
of family members about their losses. The ability
of these people to cope under such tragic circumstances
was truly amazing. I spent two days at the Ramada.
One of the major problems I encountered was the
issue of how to approach family members without
being intrusive to them in this time of despair
and suffering.
As a result of this experience,
I have learned that, for a mental health worker,
a successful response to a disaster is very much
influenced by the support of those in leadership
positions. An appropriate orientation dealing with
methods of approaching family members and opening
discussion with them is critical. Being quickly
assigned to specific and clearly defined tasks is
essential. Having the opportunity to discuss your
experiences with other mental health workers and
with supervisory staff is an important aspect of
disaster work. Keeping activities scheduled as close
to their designated times is essential in maintaining
a feeling of control and purpose. Letting family
members know that you are available to them and
advising them as to how they can arrange to speak
with you can decrease the possibility of too many
workers approaching the same family members. Keeping
worker's daily time shifts in line with their normal
working day prevents excessive exhaustion and emotional
drain.
As a member of the Mental Health
Team that responded to this disaster, I had the
opportunity to provide support for people who were
suffering severe emotional pain. An experience of
this type enables the mental health worker to truly
connect with that which is good in the human spirit,
helping those in need at a time of crisis. The fulfillment
that one can experience from such an opportunity
is immense.
Dr. Joseph Abraham is a clinical
and school psychologist in Long Island, New York
and a member of The American Academy of Experts
in Traumatic Stress. In his private practice, located
in Hauppauge, he has had a great deal of experience
treating individuals suffering from Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder. Dr. Abraham received his doctorate
from Yeshiva University and post-doctoral training
at the Advanced Institute for Analytic Psychotherapy.
©1996 by The
American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress,
Inc.
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