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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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