FireRescue1 Staff
AURORA, Colo. — A three-member FDNY support crew involved with counseling after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks flew to Aurora this weekend to offer their services to many of the firefighters who responded to the movie theater tragedy.
“A lot of people forget emergency responders are traumatized by events,” FDNY Capt. Frank Leto, a 12-year member of the department’s counseling services unit, told Newsday. “They wanted to save every life, but it was impossible.”
Similarly to what occurred in New York City during the Twin Tower attacks, Aurora emergency responders have feelings of helplessness and a loss of safety in the community, said Claire Cammarata, clinical director of the FDNY.
“There hasn’t been any formal intervention, but we’re sharing our experiences,” she told Newsday.
Aurora Fire Chief Mike Garcia praised the counseling effort saying, “one of the lessons they learned from 9/11 is that you have to take care of your own.…They sent a team of their specialized professional counselors, and they’re with us today.”
The FDNY support crew is sent out a couple times during the year for major events like Hurricane Katrina.
They returned to New York City on Tuesday.