Nurses Aid in Response to Tragedy
Michael Ferchak, RN, of the Float Pool, was on his way to the hospital for his 3 p.m. shift when he saw a fire engine truck crash into an apartment complex on Huntington Avenue. He rushed into the apartment building to help rescue firefighters trapped in the truck.
For his bravery, Ferchak was honored by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino in January during the State of the City address.
“Boston is more than a city of neighborhoods,” Menino said. “We are a city of neighbors. Just look at Michael Ferchak. He’s the nurse who rushed to the aid of firefighters. He doesn’t think he’s a hero. On behalf of the city of Boston, thank you.”
At the hospital, a response immediately was underway as the ED received one firefighter.
“The ED has a close connection to the emergency response system in the community,” said nurse manager Heidi Crim, RN, who was working in the ED at the time of the fatal accident. “There’s a kindred spirit among us because we’re working together with the same goal in mind: keeping people safe and taking care of them.”
Staff in the ED, Psychiatry, Chaplaincy, Social Work, Security and other departments worked together to support those who needed care in the ED and on site at the Mission Park complex, which is operated by the Roxbury Tenants of Harvard (RTH). There, children, tenants, RTH administration and security and EMTs who witnessed the crash were offered individual and group counseling interventions.
“We offered significant emotional support to these firefighters, emergency responders, families and staff here,” Crim said. “When something happens to emergency responders, we really feel the emotional effects of it. We owe it to them to help in any way we can.”
As the effects of the crash continue to have an emotional impact on witnesses, BWH Psychiatry is offering ongoing support to the residents of Mission Park.