What an incredibly awesome trip- I bet we touched over 350 people: firefighters, police, rescue workers and those giving assistance to victims, and gave out $5000 worth of supplies. We worked mostly with Safe Horizons, the only agency giving out any money, and helping with housing, counseling, etc. They have over 60 offices, we hit 10 offices, psychologists, social workers all dealing with the families of victims. Then at night we worked at the Medical examiners office, where they bring in the bodies or parts... That was an experience, working in the Salvation Army chapel on NYPD and others there. They gave us ride home, lights and whoop-whoops all the way! My only (knock on wood) ride in the back of police car!! We debriefed nightly across from hotel in mid town Manhattan at the wonderful Irish pub BB Doyle’s-THAT was wonderful, Irish bartenders, etc. by end of week we took a chair in and did them all a short massage- they loved it, and it was our relaxation nightly debriefing and we met some great folks there and learned how to speak with Irish accents!

Ground zero is a very toxic place; soon as subway doors open-blocks away, you can smell it (awful plastic burning chemical smell, and something else, nothing like I have ever smelled) and then once up in air a hazy mist all around. They have narrowed the perimeter so you can get block away from the 'pile' - throngs of people walking by, looking, feeling, being there...almost like a toxic tourist trap (I hated seeing babies and kids without masks...). We sprayed our masks but our lungs still burned, and I’m still coughing (a week later). The huge cathedral St Peters wasn’t touched, yet was immediately next to towers, the chunks are still on the columns and they are leaving it there as a memorial- lots of flowers, flags, etc out front. A touching place.

The fire station near our hotel called the Pride of Manhattan, lost all members on duty that day- 17, and its a shrine too, covered in black cloth, flowers, pictures from kids cover the walls. We worked on they guys there- they were from the Brooklyn station, filling in for the unit who have to attend the memorial services for the lost ones. The Brooklyn station called the Castle is largest in Brooklyn (10000 NYC firefighters, 6,000in Brooklyn alone) and we were invited to stay there next trip- they said we could live there for week, eat, etc- they work 2-24 hour shifts, then off for 4 days- so we could get all them, and move out from there.

These guys have not stopped for 2 months- until now. The Fire Marshal of Brooklyn came to meet us one night in pub, took off 3 hours to come over- said it was first time he'd sat in bar in 2 mos. Hearing their stories were incredible- many of them just needed to talk, they are just now starting to deal with it, so I’m so glad we can help. The next month thru the holidays are going to be especially tough, as they now are back to duty since Ground Zero is a construction site, and the heavy picking thru is done at the Staten Island land fill. They have begun to grieve.

One of the highlights of our adventure was meeting two Northhamptonshire detectives over for the English families of victims- they were really cool guys, gave us patches AND a plaque of their badge for CERMT- see below. Thru our AT connections we will help set up a team over there for them and the families, the process has already started, so anyone in England wishing to participate there contact me and I will fwd the contact info.

Our hotel neighbors included 50 or more Firefighters from Vancouver- here to give $600,000 they raised (they all took out loans) to give to the families of firefighters- they are very tight group and taught us some code words they use. They are sending numbers thru December attending funerals and ceremonies showing up in numbers to give the NY guys breaks. I have an entire new appreciation of our heroes the firefighters, never realizing what an awesome team they are, and how they feel the losses of any of their brothers, anywhere. A VERY special group those firefighters and my, oh my, do those uniforms look nice... :-) Our Heroes...

NY has a really different feeling to me- everyone smiles more than before, they are helpful to strangers (maybe it was those chairs on our backs they felt sorry!!) and they are SO grateful for all help now. They may have been tough in the beginning, but they are now welcoming any help, visitors, etc. They are hurting though they hardly show it. Really it was an incredible feeling--Our team was tight, we all had our jobs and did them as if we'd practiced! New Yorkers loved the southern accents, we laughed a LOT, they enjoyed us and we them so much.

Anyway, I’m home, exhausted with the WTC cough (where’s my oregano!), but exhilarated and really proud of the work we did, I really look forward (and SO do they) to going back- around Christmas (Dec 23 thru the new year, January 5) ....to be there for them for the holidays and to support NYC.

Sylla