Client Story: The Ongoing Impact of 9/11

Mrs. S. joined the 9/11 recovery efforts at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001 as an EMT with the FDNY. She continued to work at Ground Zero on her days off, working 14-16 hours a day from September 2001 until December 2001.

Following her service at Ground Zero, she began to develop health problems. The FDNY WTC Monitoring and Treatment Program diagnosed Mrs. S. with asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis, gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), insomnia, and depression. In 2005, she developed severe abdominal problems that resulted in hospitalization and four subsequent surgeries. These conditions and surgeries have left her disabled and unable to work since October 2005.

Mrs. S. turned to NYDIS for help when her home was in danger of being foreclosed and was assigned a caseworker who has been working with her since April 2008. The NYC 9/11 Unmet Needs Roundtable has provided Mrs. S. and her family of four with assistance for their mortgage and a line-of-credit. The financial assistance that the Roundtable provided prevented both the foreclosure of her home and the “charge off” of her line-of-credit the day before they were scheduled to take place. The Roundtable will continue to aid Mrs. S in her family’s long-term recovery while she is actively pursuing the maximum allowable benefits under Workers’ Compensation.

:: 9/11 Families Send Letter Criticizing the Military Commission System

On June 3, seven relatives of people who were killed on 9/11 sent a letter to Susan Crawford, the Convening Authority of the Office of Military Commissions, concerning the way that the 9/11 trials in Guantánamo have been politicized. The Defense Department invited only one family member of a victim to attend the arraignment of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the key planner of the terrorist attacks. The relative who was invited supports the Bush administration and the military commission system; her invitation reflects the way that the military commission system has been compromised by politics. The letter’s authors state their desire to see justice achieved with honesty and transparency rather than secrecy. They explain that this kind of justice is what the U.S. Constitution describes and what their family members deserve.

Read the letter: click here

:: GAO Report: HHS Lacks Health Plan for Future Disaster Responders

On June 2, Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Christopher Shays, Vito Fossella, and Jerrold Nadler released a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concerning the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s lack of an appropriate plan to protect the health of people who respond to future disasters. The report describes five lessons from 9/11 federal response that offer direction about how the U.S. can prepare to provide adequate health programs for responders in the future. These five lessons include implementing a system for registering responders early on, designing effective screening programs that support health-related research, providing mental health monitoring and treatment in a timely manner, offering referrals for responders who are screened so they can access treatment, and making these services available to all responders without exceptions.

Read the GAO report: click here

Read the press release from the Office of Congresswoman Maloney: click here

:: New York State to Offer Enhanced Drivers' Licenses

New York will be the second state in the country to offer licenses that meet the new identification standards developed by the federal government to strengthen national security. These new licenses, which also will act as passports at borders, protect against fraud through their radio-frequency chips that allow officials to verify identification information. They are part of the Department of Homeland Security’s plan to tighten border security and will be available after Labor Day at Department of Motor Vehicle offices through the same process as current drivers’ licenses. Starting in June 2009, the enhanced licenses will be valid to use to re-enter the United States from other North American countries by motor vehicle or ship.

Read the May 27 article in Newsday:
www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-stdriv0528,0,2206392.story

:: Mount Sinai Study Finds High Rates of PTSD in 9/11 Responders

A new study by Mount Sinai School of Medicine reveals that people who served as first responders after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center have significantly higher rates of psychological distress than the general population. Some of these psychological problems include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and panic disorder. The study reveals that the number of responders who are experiencing PTSD is comparable to that of veterans who served in the war in Afghanistan.

Read the Mount Sinai Report: click here

:: Emergency Management Sector Shows Growing Job Outlook

According to FEMA and data from private sector research, the field of emergency management and disaster recovery is growing in the United States in spite of the weakened economy. By 2012, these sources predict that the sector will spend $65 billion in wages alone to employ 1.2 million people. Examples of emergency management jobs include environmental science and protection technicians, paramedics, fire fighters, and occupational health and safety specialists. While $65 billion may seem like a strain on government spending, the cost of not being prepared in a large-scale disaster is much greater, as Hurricane Katrina and Cyclone Nargis reveal.

Read the article in Homeland Security News: click here