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The POPPA Organization trained its 200 volunteer Peer Support Officers in fall 2000 to assist their NYPD colleagues in "critical incidents"-that is, extraordinary events, such as a shooting, that can overwhelm an officer's coping capacity. Critical incident protocols offer cops a lifeline to manage their reactions and prevent Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. When the POPPA Organization began this training, mental health experts estimated that about one-third of police officers would develop post-traumatic stress. And that was before 9/11.
When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on 9/11, New York City police officers faced unprecedented demands for response. Between 1,500 and 2,000 officers arrived at Ground Zero before the second plane struck. Twenty-three officers were lost. Their fellow cops continued to work amid falling debris and horrific sights. By September 12, many thousands of officers had joined the work at Ground Zero. By mid-2002, an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 officers had worked at Ground Zero, the World Trade Center morgues, or the retrieval operation at the Staten Island landfill.
The POPPA Organization office, located just a few blocks from the World Trade Center, lost electricity and water on 9/11. Within three days, the POPPA Organization had set up a temporary Crisis Center in the lobby the Federal Reserve Bank, three blocks from Ground Zero. From there, the POPPA Organization deployed its volunteer Critical Incident Stress teams and recruited additional volunteers in the mental health professions. The POPPA Organization also coordinated the deployment of more than 600 volunteer counselors who came to New York from across the United States and abroad.
In such an unprecedented situation, the POPPA Organization had to develop new response techniques. It sent teams of volunteers, clearly identified as the POPPA Organization workers, to Ground Zero each hour. These volunteers spoke with rescue workers about Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and services available at the POPPA Organization's Crisis Center. They reached an estimated 8,000 rescue workers and distributed 100,000 information brochures to emergency personnel and police commands citywide. The POPPA Organization also set up a Satellite Crisis Center at the Staten Island retrieval operation.
The POPPA Organization volunteers urged fellow cops to join small groups of officers in "defusing" sessions. Trained Peer Support Officers and mental health professionals ensured that officers in these groups had a supportive environment simply to describe their activities at Ground Zero. Two or three months later, "debriefing" sessions allowed officers to discuss feelings emerging from their Ground Zero experiences. In late September 2001, the POPPA Organization counseled about 100 officers each day. Calls to its HelpLine increased by 300 percent. By September 11, 2002, the POPPA Organization had "defused" or "debriefed" more than 5,000 officers.
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