We are turning the FDNY firemen onto aromatherapy! What another incredibly rewarding trip. On this deployment besides working our schedules at St. Paul's, Landfill, Safe Horizon offices and 22 firehouses...we set up eleven firehouses with their aromatherapy supplies. The guys were SO receptive, I was so happy! Most of all they were in disbelief that so many from so far away cared so much about them, cared enough to 'adopt' them and provide such wonderful healing products. The reception to this was overwhelmingly responsive, more than I expected! At each place, we made connections to set up other firehouses. Visiting firemen begged to be “put on the list” and filled out my form quickly so they could also receive the gifts, and the massage. In addition we met 2 women visiting houses, seeing what they need, etc, and one was able to guide us to several in desperate need (i.e. Hazmat unit that lost 19, etc). These hopefully will be good contacts for future to guide us where we are most needed.

We were able to go to only two houses a day, between travel time and logistics or hauling chairs/products through subway, etc. not to mention waiting for them to come back... We enjoyed spending time in their home - eating, laughing, dressing in their gear, and having dinner, in addition to giving the massage and aromatherapy. I sometimes had one or two therapists with me who could do chair massage while I explained the system or Nyssa and I explained, filmed and then doubled up on the massage. She worked on the shoulders, arms, hands and I did the heads and back, and all of this was in between fire calls of course! Once we got both diffuser and vaporizer set up and as they left for runs and came back, they begin to notice how wonderful their kitchen/den was beginning to smell, it was drifting out the door so when they came back covered in smoke fumes they were welcomed with a wonderful scent! They walked into the room and noticed the decongestant effect immediately. Most units went directly into kitchen/den as this is where they live- most do not sleep in bunk rooms, though often we put the diffuser up there too if it was a big house. We left plug-ins (bottle/wick type) too for the small front office or bathrooms. Most were eager to learn about aromatherapy on this level and understand how it worked. They all agreed that this would help the respiratory problems. Most were only given a steroid inhaler for the early days, though they are all now being examined for toxic levels and lung capacity; unfortunately a few in each firehouse we visited have already reported diminished capacities, anywhere from 70-90% and some are on the verge of asthma...so our gifts are timely and welcome.

In each firehouse, we taught anywhere from 2-6 of them how to maintain the vaporizer and fill the I'D and to be in charge, though as we talked others would drift in to listen. They will share the book and info with the others, so eventually each fireman will know how to maintain and fill the vaporizer and diffuI'Dave created a booklet describing our mission and their gifts, along with the protocol for detox that I'm developing, including references and MSDS (thanks to Tony!). Included in the book is the Sponsor info and they should be in touch with you soon. My original intent was to purchase T-shirts/etc. but I didn't know how many, what size, so once the sponsor is in touch that can be worked out.

For the Sponsors, I will be compiling pictures/video and giving you your station's name/info this week, only about half have email. I explained that the sponsor could also help with other things they just have to let them know what the needs are (web savvy ones could help them get email, or sites-only 26 sites of all 300).

I learned on this trip that we are truly making a difference. Our visits and gifts are timely, as the relief effort winds down. The WTC site is due to be done within a month or so and the landfill by May 1- barring weather of course. However, we still have around 300 firehouses to adopt and set up so our job will not be over for some time to come.

That’s the update for now.
Thanks again for your support.
Sylla