Newsletter article featuring NYU engineering interview, Sept 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

unit, run on diesel fuel, since our Cat Scan could not be powered by our emergency generator. GE really came through for us. We discovered that certain critical items were without emergency power, such as the morgue refrigerator and (4) walk-in refrigerators and freezers in Food & Nutrition. So our Engineering staff ran temporary emergency power from nearby emergency circuits to maintain the equipment in operation. Phone service to the hospital was cut off--- no inbound or outbound calls. So we had to use cell phones, which were sporadic, as well as satellite phones. Another problem that we had --- which everyone in the city had --- was the inability to contact the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management (MOEM), as their Command Post or "Bunker" was located at 7 World Trade Center (a building that was initially evacuated, and then later collapsed). It took two days for a temporary office to be set up, and during that time, communications were very difficult.

When the phone went out, the cable service also went out. So our only outside news was through battery-powered radios. We couldn't see all of the coverage that the rest of the world could see. In turn, with the threat of other potential building collapses, tight security surrounding entire Lower Manhattan, and because of our proximity to 'Ground Zero', news media were unable to get their mobile broadcast units near NYU Downtown Hospital. Therefore we also isolated form the media in this regard, and did not receive the initial media attention that other institutions did.

Like other hospitals, we had expected more victims. But after 1:00 PM, the only patients we treated were rescue workers who had injured themselves in their efforts to find victims. A team of (20) MD's and surgeons were requested at the site, but unfortunately there was little for them to do, so they returned to the Hospital. During rescue operations, NYU Downtown Hospital provided emergency medical care to over 140 FDNY, NYPD and volunteers, suffering from sprains and fractures, exhaustion, and respiratory difficulties. Many of them being discharged returned immediately to the site to continue to look for survivors.

What I think we are all most proud of is that after the incident, we provided much-needed assistance to a large residential community (Southbridge Tower) located directly across the street from the Hospital. This high-rise building was occupied by many seniors, who were now without power, water, or vertical transportation. Hospital staff walked up through the building --- up to 20 stories in some cases --- and delivered 300 meals prepared at the Hospital. In addition to providing meals, physician and nursing staff provided medical treatment, and refilled prescription drugs for those elderly who were trapped in their apartments.

During the crisis, and continuing to now, indoor air quality (IAQ) was an important concern. We had an environmental consultant running constant IAQ

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