List date(s) this work was published or aired.
9-Sep-11
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, more than 50,000 rescue and recovery workers converged at the World Trade Center. Among them were the 62 members of Missouri’s FEMA Urban Search and Rescue task force. The experience at ground zero made many workers sick, with health problems ranging from asthma to post-traumatic stress disorder. Although Missouri’s search and rescue team spent only ten days at the World Trade Center site, this report found that some workers are still experiencing health problems a decade after 9/11. The story aired on St. Louis Public Radio on September 9, 2011, as part of our coverage of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. I have uploaded an mp3 of the story as it aired, along with the script and a link to our story webpage.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I looked at data for Missouri search and rescue workers in the World Trade Center Health Registry (http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/wtc/html/registry/registry.shtml). I also contacted the New York City Department of Health for more detailed data on Missouri’s workers. I also read scientific journal articles related to the health of WTC workers; journals included the Lancet’s special 9/11 anniversary issue, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
Explain types of human sources used.
I contacted Missouri FEMA Task Force One, St. Louis-area fire departments, Missouri firefighters’ unions, the NYC Department of Health, Mount Sinai Medical Center (NY), and Montefiore Medical Center (NY). I interviewed (on tape) St. Louis-area firefighters, a Missouri canine search and rescue specialist, a vet who has studied the health of the search and rescue dogs, the director of the WTC Health Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center, and the supervising epidemiologist at Montefiore Medical Center.
Results:
I found that most Missouri workers experienced respiratory problems and some degree of psychological trauma while at the WTC site, and that some are continuing to experience physical and psychological symptoms a decade later.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
N/A
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Be persistent! It took a lot of calls to find Missouri WTC workers who would talk with me, particularly when I said I wanted to talk about health problems (firefighters don’t like to admit they have any!). But once I did find the right people, they were very willing to talk with me about their experiences and symptoms.