Investigating the Disaster in New York City: Conducting Field Research Following the Collapse of the World Trade Center

Abstract

The terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, created a unique opportunity for those engaged in disaster research. Within days of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers and the attack on the Pentagon, the ‘‘Quick Response’’ ~QR! research grant program, funded by the National Science Foundation ~NSF! and administered by the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center ~Hazards Center! at the University of Colorado, Boulder, was supplemented with additional funds to allow hazard researchers the opportunity to gain rapid access to the location of the incidents. On September 14, a call for proposals was issued by the Hazards Center that encouraged scholars to examine issues related to the events of September 11. The writers of this research note were notified on September 24 that they were the recipients of one of those QR grants. Our research objective was to document the initial social and organizational processes involved in the management of victim identification following the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. Two weeks following the World Trade Center collapse, the writers spent 4 days ~September 26–29! in New York City conducting field research. We conducted semistructured interviews with representatives of Greater New York Hospital Association ~which established and coordinated the official patient locater system on their Web site and is the official liaison between New York area hospitals and the city’s Office of Emergency Services! and several area hospitals. The research team also observed activities at the Family Assistance Center at Pier 94 ~the centralized clearinghouse for victim assistance!, the City Emergency Command Center, and several New York City Fire Department locations, among other disaster-related sites. Since events were still unfolding during the time the research team was in New York City, we were unable to get access to key officials from the New York City Office of Emergency Services, the Office of the Medical Examiner, the New York State Office of Emergency Services, and FEMA who were involved in victim identification. We anticipate making several additional trips to conduct interviews with these and other important participants. This forum addresses the preliminary lessons we learned while conducting field research in New York City. It is hoped that these lessons will assist future quick response research teams as they go about their work.