Hope Amid Horror
Red Cross nurse offers a glimpse into the rescue effort at the Pentagon

The recent terrorist attacks on the United States have affected all Americans either covertly or overtly. Sept. 11, 2001, will be forever etched in our minds as we remember where we were and what we were doing when the attacks occurred.

Living in Washington, D.C., I witnessed the effects of the disaster on our nation's capital. For security reasons, federal workers were dismissed from their jobs immediately. This created chaos in the city because the streets that were not blocked to protect federal agencies and buildings were jam-packed, making it difficult for emergency vehicles.

All district and federal law enforcement agencies were in full force on the streets. Local residents were fearful of what devastation and terror were to follow. The city was in a state of heightened security; several hospitals were preparing to receive casualties from the Pentagon disaster and potential casualties of whatever possibly was to occur next. It was a city of tension and action.

My reaction was disbelief, shock and then, "What can I do to help?'' Within hours, I found a volunteer position on the Red Cross mental health team. (I have Red Cross disaster mental health training and experience.) My first assignment the morning after the disaster was to relieve counselors who had been at the disaster site all night.

Because many streets were closed, driving was a nightmare, so I took a train and then a bus to get across town to the Arlington Red Cross chapter. There, a group of psychologists and nurses with Red Cross disaster mental health training waited for assignments. After our credentials were checked, paperwork done and a briefing completed, we were shuttled in a van to the Pentagon to begin work.

The field around the area of the Pentagon that had been damaged was busy with firefighters, search-and-rescue workers, military personnel, including chaplains, federal law enforcement personnel from various agencies, FEMA personnel, structural engineers, construction workers, Red Cross and Salvation Army personnel, and many trucks and tents. It truly was a city within a city.

The atmosphere was filled with apprehension, frustration and a general sense of camaraderie as people worked in unison toward the common goal of rescuing anyone who might be trapped in the building.

The Red Cross and The Salvation Army set up areas to provide refreshments, food, clean socks and comfort items for the people involved in the "mission." The mental health team's slice of the mission was to provide comfort and support, listen for signs of emotional stress when conversing with workers, look for signs of exhaustion and offer the level of care necessary.

Our mental health team worked in various strategic areas of the disaster field. The medical clinic inside the Pentagon was operational and offered medical and psychological care. The military services and the Red Cross also set up medical emergency tents in the field.

Many small fires occurred inside the building during the first few days after the attack, as well as bomb threats that hindered and frustrated many rescue workers. The most terrifying event occurred Sept. 13, when an unidentified plane flew over the Pentagon.

The warning buzzer that indicated danger blasted. Firefighters stationed on the roof scurried down the ladder, as the legions of people in the field quickly left to a marked safe area. This lasted about 15 minutes until the plane was identified as "friendly."

This also was the day when everyone stopped what they were doing as a flag was unfurled from the top of the building down the side near where the plane struck. A tremendous sense of patriotism filled the air and everyone applauded the brave flagbearers. It was a moment of unity, purpose and fortification of our common mission.

Although the days after the attack provided no rescued victims, the mission of recovery and preservation of evidence continued with the hope of rescuing a trapped victim. Many rescue, recovery and evidence collectors were experienced in working horrific disasters and were disappointed at not finding any viable victims in the rubble.

Young armed forces reservists who had been activated on a few hours' notice were trying to adjust to the abrupt change in their lives. The law enforcement agencies had people in various tasks from security to evidence collection. Several of the people working had been on the site when the plane hit the Pentagon and had either seen the impact or were involved in rescuing victims after the impact.

Many were working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, and could not foresee any change in the work pattern. There also were construction workers to shore up the structure of the building and structural engineers who had never been involved in a disaster situation.

The multistress, multidisciplinary, multijurisdictional situation was a potential breeding ground for post-traumatic stress disorder. It is important to have trained personnel at disaster sites to assess and intervene when they notice workers experiencing maladaptive adjustment behaviors.

There were several mental health teams at the Pentagon site, including the Red Cross and The Salvation Army, that offered mental health services. Teams that often brought counselors with them included search-and-rescue teams, firefighting agencies, some federal law enforcement agencies, the armed forces and Army chaplains.

At the Pentagon site, counseling was made available to the cadre of multidisciplinary men and women, an important facet in maintaining the disaster operations by helping workers stay healthy and focused.

As a final note on my experience, I will share a comment made to me by a firefighting search-and-rescue worker after he had been in the building fighting a fire. I asked him if he would like some water or something to eat. He looked at me and said, "If you do nothing else for me other than the smile you just gave me, I would be happy."

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