The day started with my arrival at the Salvation Army Headquarters, in downton Manhattan.
The Salvation Army had laid on a support centre for those affected by the attacks ten years ago. After attending one of thir planning meetings I thought that I knew what to expect! I was wrong. The centre was amazing.. in attendance were 8 therapy dogs, acupuncture and massage facilities and quiet areas staffed by counsellors. There was also a 1400 seater theatre streaming the opening of the memorial live.
Food had been donated, and caterers had volunteered to serve it.
It was a Centre of two halves. The theatre was quiet and emotional, and the foyer was busy with those catching up with old friends, networking and sharing experiences.
Most of my day was spent trouble shooting, however I also did some registration and meeting and greeting guests.
At lnchtime, a fellow Churchill Fellow Ian Nuttal arrived. Ian is a Firefighter in the UK, and is researching practical experiences learnt from major disasters in the US. I showed Ian around the Centre, and then headed off to Penn Station to say goodbye, as he was visiting colleagues in Long Island that afternoon. Ian was in full dress uniform, and when the NYPD saw him, we were escorted through the station, and allowed to travel for free, in respect for his UK position.
The City was alive with uniforms, I decided to visit Ground Zero later that evening, once the crowds had dispersed. Following a tip from a friend, I went to the W Hotel, which has a terrace overlooking Ground Zero. It was extremely emotional. The memorial is beautiful, and very fitting. With peoples names grouped together dependant on the place they died.
Walking around the City that evening was an experince I will never ever forget. I met British Police, British Fire Officers, and many American responders who had felt the need to be there, whether involved or not. The atmosphere was also extremely friendly, with everyone chatting to everyone, no matter what your job, where you came from or why you were there.
Today I had the privelidge to meet with Chief Pfeiffer from the FDNY. He was the first Chief Officer on the scene on that terrible day, and my meeting with him was sucessful and yet moving.
I have a very busy week this week. Tomorow I meet a British Police Officer, who is here researching a similar project to mine. We can swap ideas and share experiences. I also have a trip to New Jersey 'Fusion Centre', a place where resilience ideas are 'fused' together to plan for the future.
I will also be spending a day at the Office of Emergency Management on Thursday, which is the closest organisation to the Contingency Planning Units that Local Authorities have in the UK.
So... more soon.. I hope you find my pictures interesting.
