Public Employee Press

2001-2011
Workers confront mental scars, physical disabilities
The pain remains

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

Even after 10 years, tow truck driver Farris Coley Sr. sometimes sees the image of the war zone at Ground Zero, where the Twin Towers collapsed after terrorists crashed hijacked planes into the buildings.

The Dept. of Transportation sent Coley, a Traffic Enforcement Agent 3 and Local 983 member, to help clear vehicles to make way for emergency workers. Ever since his exposure to the devastation, he has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"It's with me every day," said Coley, who witnessed people jumping from the burning buildings on Sept. 11 and worked on the cleanup for several months. His stress is compounded by what he calls the lack of recognition from the city.

Over the years, Ground Zero workers like Coley have struggled to deal with PTSD - with its flashbacks, anxiety, sleeplessness and emotional problems. At home and on the job, they can't escape the psychological repercussions of the horror they went through.

"It was like the gates of hell opened, with flames and white ashes, which made it seem like it was snowing," said former Local 376 member Ken George, who was also sent in to clear space for emergency vehicles. He then searched the rubble "pile" for victims and worked at Ground Zero until February 2002.

Illnesses caused by his work at Ground Zero forced him to retire from his Highway Repairer job, which he held for nearly 20 years.

Every day, he needs a cocktail of prescription drugs to cope with his stress, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, respiratory problems, weakened heart and the infamous "9/11 cough." Recently, he had to start using an oxygen tank to help him breathe.

Unable to sleep more than a few hours, George sometimes wakes up screaming and punching his pillow.

At times, said George's wife of 27 years, Cindi, "It's like he's dead. He's not the same person I married."

His erratic behavior and need for caring have put tremendous pressure on the couple's marriage, and the recurring nightmares and the stress of fighting his afflictions led George to attempt suicide. Fortunately, his adult son found him hanging in a doorway in time to save his life.

Buried in wreckage

Emergency Medical Technician Joe Conzo, secretary-treasurer of Uniformed EMTs and Paramedics Local 2507, and his partner, Bill Trouccolo, were among the first rescue workers to arrive at the World Trade Center. When the first tower collapsed as they were evacuating the nearby Marriott Hotel, they were buried in the wreckage. Conzo crawled out of the debris. After calling his mother to let her know he was all right, he searched for Trouccolo, who suffered a broken leg and four broken ribs, and pulled him out of the debris.

"It was a horror that I never expected to see - people jumping out of windows and the body parts," Conzo said.

Conzo soon sought the help of a therapist, who sent him to the scene of the mass killing to help him with closure.

Conzo still gets rattled when he sees low-flying planes, which trigger his memory of the hijacked airliners that hit the towers. From time to time, he breaks out crying, as he did recently while watching a documentary about 9/11.

Like many 9/11 survivors, Conzo has coping mechanisms. He finds solace in sharing his experience. Recently, he felt more upbeat after talking to the media about 9/11.

Coley also finds relief by going to the gym. He has cut his weight and reduced his belt size. And his real joy comes from coaching his son's baseball team, which he led to a championship this summer.

But despite their ability to move on, as they are reminded of the tragedy, many 9/11 workers suspect that they will never fully recover.

"I wish all of this would disappear," Coley said.