2001-9-11 The Ladder

By Lee Jean Heller

My first book, Lights for Life and Sirens for Suffering, was written about my life as an EMT-A serving on a fire department for twenty-three years. I learned about life being first on the scene of horrible events in life, including my own. This book is about serving in New York City after 9/11/01 as a Critical Incident Stress Management team member on the pile of the worst attack on America. No one can prepare a person for the experience everyone went through there. But most importantly, how we all came together on the pile and other locations there and our whole country. We lost so many lives that day and since then.

As a first responder, I found the need to talk about what was on my mind and heart. First responders, police, fire and EMS, and military, must take care of ourselves as well as we try to help others. This also includes nurses, physicians, teachers, and all people giving so much of their lives for others.

The day before I left to serve in New York City, a prayer was prayed for my safety. The person prayed for a ladder for me. I didn’t think that I was going to need one as I was not a fireman. But as life happens, I believed it saved my life. I want to thank my Critical Incident team for continuing service and new teams currently being developed. Please, reach out for help, no matter who you are, you deserve it.

Thank you to my family, friends, Eddie of NYPD, and Tom Mills and others who helped me by supporting this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781662401688

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2001-9-11 The Ladder

Lee Jean Heller

Copyright © 2020 Lee Jean Heller

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2020

ISBN 978-1-6624-0167-1 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-0168-8 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

To all the innocent victims of 9/11, all first responders we lost that day (and since), and those who served, plus their families

Acknowledgment

I couldn’t have done this without my family—Richard Heller, Stacey Ann Swank & Timothy Huffman, Collin, Connor, Robbyn Bowman, Zack, Zane, Brittany and Zeke Swank, the Heller family—and all who have been included in my book and important in my life. I’d love to welcome my newest family member, great grandson, Silas Scott-Allen Swank. My village also includes other family members, as well as special friends including Tom Mills. They, have all supported me and believed in this book.

If it weren’t for the creation of the Southwest Ohio Critical Incident Team, I would have never experienced The Ladder—9/11. I am sincerely grateful to the founders, Linda and Jim Edrington also Deborah Ingram. I must include all team members who served there and everywhere every day.

I love you all, please take care.

Anyone of age recalls 9/11 day and where they were when the news began about the attacks on our country.

On my way to work that day, I had to stop at an office supply store. While shopping for my office supplies, I could hear a television set being on, but I was not really paying attention to what was being reported.

When I stepped up to the desk to pay for my items, the manager said, A building in New York City has been hit by an airplane. I quickly thought what in the world has happened, and I looked at the television where they were showing a very large building being hit by an airplane. I also thought, What kind of pilot would hit something so enormous? I just stood there staring at the TV, and my heart dropped. The people in the airplane. The people in the building. The first responders. That has to be a nightmare.

The manager processed the sale, and I just stood and stared at the television report. I have no idea how long I stood there, but when the second plane hit the other Twin Tower, I grabbed my bag and headed to work. On the way there, I kept taking big breaths, and I had the feeling to call my daughter on the phone. My son-in-law answered, and I asked him if he saw what was happening, and he said no, he was playing with my littlest grandson, Zeke, who was nine months old. I suggested they turn on the television as it felt very scary to me.

I arrived at the hospital, where I worked, and everything seemed okay. I walked through the Emergency Department hallway. People were walking the halls and working with patients. I worked for many years in this local hospital, and I found myself hurrying to my office, now on the fourth floor. As I got closer to my office, I felt I was going faster to see if people saw what I had seen. I saw the television was on in the conference room. I went into the room and saw people staring at the scene being provided, like I had earlier. No one was speaking. Just staring at the television.

I couldn’t believe what we were watching. I kept thinking, This cannot be real. Not in our country. Then I got the feeling that no one was safe for some strange reason. It wasn’t long before I heard