|
BY JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER, STAFF WRITER, NEWSDAY
April 4, 2005
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were so haunting for first responders from Long Island that 1,500 of them have sought counseling from a federally funded outreach program. Officials of the program said there had never been a formal event to recognize the rescuers' efforts. That changed yesterday afternoon when about 200 first responders were honored during a ceremony at the Maria Regina Catholic Church in Seaford organized by Home Ground, the counseling and outreach program offered through South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside. Carl Schramm, a retired New York City firefighter from Huntington Station, realized about a year after the attacks that he needed Home Ground's help to deal with the escalating number of arguments he was having with his wife and children - a result of overwhelming stress from what he experienced as a rescuer."It was like a constant, irritating factor going on," he said of the memories of Ground Zero.Getting involved with Home Ground, Schramm, 43, said, has helped him come to terms with not being able to rescue more people. "We did what we could, but there were things beyond our control."The event was meant to help create positive experiences relating to 9/11, said Thomas Demaria, an assistant vice president at the hospital.The Rev. Kevin Smith, a fire chaplain from St. Francis De Sales in Patchogue, urged the audience to not feel guilty now about striving for their own well-being."We focus so much on the recovery and rescue efforts, but we need to focus with the same enthusiasm on our home, our families, ourselves," he said. Sitting in a pew while waiting for the service to begin, George Hartig said it never occurred to him that this ceremony was a first of its kind. Hartig, 57, of Huntington Station, was among the first to set up lighting and triage at Ground Zero through his work as an electrician with the New York Police Department. Though he has never asked for help from Home Ground, he said the memories revisit him often."In your mind, you think you can hear the screams from the towers," he said softly, staring at the altar. "But in reality it's from all the kids in the school nearby."Hartig, who attended with his wife, said he felt uncomfortable with the idea of being honored."I don't want any kind of recognition," he said. "I don't want a plaque or pin. It's very awkward."Later, as Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) handed out small pins to the honorees, Hartig hesitated, and then went up to receive one.
Copyright (c) 2005, Newsday, Inc.
This article originally appeared at
|
