By Laurel V Williams

Copyright newsday

On the anniversary of the September 11 (9/11) attacks at the World Trade Center in the US, TT-born safety engineer and first responder Carlstien Lutchmedial reflected on the unimaginable tragedy, more than two decades after the day that changed the lives of many.

Lutchmedial, who worked at Ground Zero during the search and rescue efforts in 2001, highlighted the physical and psychological burden carried by those who answered the call of duty that day.

“For the first few days, we were searching through the rubble with bare hands, no PPE, removing bodies, limbs, inhaling toxic fumes, dust. We worked right there, worked day and night with no rest.

“I worked from the first day till long after. Those memories still linger, and the aftermath of toxic exposure and hazardous conditions has left me with a constant sense of vulnerability. A lingering fear haunts me; the fear of getting ill.”

Despite the overwhelming physical and psychological toll of exposure to toxins and hazardous materials during the cleanup, he said, he gets dressed every day and is ready to face the unknown.

“I hear or read about first responders passing on, people who worked with me, next to me. More of us have died from responding to the incident than those who have died from the incident,” Lutchmedial said.

“I take precautions, follow protocols, and prioritise my health. I hope my fears do not become reality.”

Lutchmedial is a former member of the TT Defence Force, and he also served in the US Army.

In August 2007, he was given the Army Achievement Medal from the US Department of the Army for “meritorious achievement following the terrorist attacks” of 9/11.

The department added, “His willingness to respond to the call of duty as a military volunteer and presence in lower Manhattan provided assurance to a shaken citizenry.”

In May 2009, he also received a certificate of recognition for his work on the World Trade Center project, signed by then-mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Lutchmedial was awarded several military honours over the years, including the Air Force Commendation Medal for his development of disaster exercises in Bosnia.

Lutchmedial highlighted the alarming number of first responders and others diagnosed with 9/11-related cancers, around 50,000 people.

He cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which estimates that about 8,500 people registered as exposed have died, including 6,000 first responders.

This figure surpasses the number of people killed in the attacks themselves (2,977).

Lutchmedial’s brother, the late Lyndley “Lutch” Lutchmedial, a former scout district commissioner for San Fernando, was also among the first responders.

Lutchmedial is a past pupil of San Fernando Central Secondary School, known as “Modsec.”

Whether at home in Trinidad or not, Lutchmedial is always flying the TT flag.

On Independence Day (August 31), he hosted his annual backyard Independence Day lime at his home in New York.

Lutchmedial serves as the director of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

In January 2024, he received commendation from New York mayor Eric Adams for “exemplary leadership” in public safety response and his “outstanding contributions” to the response to a steam pipe leak in December 2023 in Manhattan.

In 2019, Lutchmedial, an instructor with the firm OSHE Consultants, received an award from the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) in the UK for producing the top student in the world in oil and gas safety.

Lutchmedial and student Damien Catlyn both received awards at a graduation ceremony at the University of Warwick.

Lutchmedial is also the author of Safety and Health for the Oil and Gas Industry.