ABSTRACT
In October of 2001, the Counseling Service Unit of the New York City Fire Department approached the administration of St. Vincent's Hospital, Manhattan, requesting help in providing outreach and counseling services to firefighters. At that time, the Counseling Service Unit or CSU had a staff of 11 full-time employees, consisting of psychiatric nurses, social workers, peer counselors, and firefighters who were retired or on light duty and reassigned to the CSU. With the events of 9/11 and the loss of 343 firefighters, the CSU was overwhelmed and inun dated by the needs of the members of the department and the family members of both the survivors and the deceased. Before September 11, the CSU handled about 50 new cases a month; by the middle of December 2001, it has opened more than 1,500 cases, and had visited and provided education to over 8,000 members of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) workforce. They expect to see over 6,000 clients through private counseling, education, and group events by the end of 2002. Suddenly and without warning that 1 I -member team, which was more accustomed to handling isolated cases of alcoholism and grief was flooded with calls for its services. While the New York City Police Department held mandatory debriefing for all of its members, the FDNY adopted a slightly different approach. The FDNY implemented a more subtle method to address the complex needs of its members. This approach sought to both embrace and side step the insular, decidedly male culture in which firefighters tend to accept help only in the line of duty.
