Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2011 - 45

AICP eisenstat award

By this time, the bustling Ground Zero site
included not only emergency personnel and
The Association of Independent Commercial Producers has awarded the Jay B.
entertainment industry workers but also an
Eisenstat Award since 1990. Eleven groups or companies who were members of
assemblage of iron workers, crane operators,
AICP received it in 2002- all for their service in response to the 9/11 tragedy. The
demolition specialists, and heavy equipment
following is from a story by Robert Goldrich in SHOOT (6/24/2002):
crews. By the beginning of October, the first
significant federal funding became available
"This year's honorees-all based in New York-were chosen for
through FEMA grants. One of these included
their immediate and caring response to the 9/11 tragedy... Grips and
more than $35M for permanent lighting and
electrical technicians from IATSE Local 52, New York, took charge of
power distribution for the site. Almost all of the
lighting the search and cleanup efforts, as well as supply areas, while
entertainment unions had, by this time, relinother members worked with the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
quished their work to paid workers. Almost evTeamsters New York Local 817 (Theatre Teamsters) transported people
eryone from the entertainment industry refused
and equipment to and from Ground Zero constantly. Rental houses
compensation for the grueling three weeks they
throughout New York sent enormous amounts of equipment to the site,
had spent searching. FEMA and the Mayor's Ofincluding lights, stands, cables, generators, masks and tents. Bob Bailin,
fice approached many of the individuals and
president of New York-based equipment rental house Feature Systems,
companies that had so generously dedicated
related: 'Local 52 contacted us and said that they had the guys if we had
their efforts in support of the city's emergency
the equipment. No one hesitated..."
services about continuing to work for compenThe AICP Eisenstat Award recipients for 2002 are Local 52, Local 817,
sation. Lowell Schulman was one of the many
Feature Systems Inc., Angel Aerial Corporation, Camera Service Center, Luna
who declined. Though he loved and respected
Lighting, Silvertrucks Lighting, K/A/S Lighting, Cinema World Studios, and
the many men and women he supervised and
Panavision New York.
worked with, the time had come to go home.
Schulman remembers, "Before we could
start working that first day, I had to write my
name, contact info, and blood type on my arm.
This was really dangerous work." Schulman worked the first four days without hardly any sleep. For
the next three weeks, he worked almost continuously, with very limited rest breaks and only a couple
of trips home. "I could have had that lighting contract. They told me I was giving up $35M in work. I
didn't want it. It's not why I was there."
n Unfortunately, the financial burden of such a prolonged volunteer effort was not the only
cost borne by many of the Ground Zero workers. Many suffer from continuing health challenges. On March 3, 2003, USA Today printed an article about the lingering emotional and
physical health issues from the Pile workers.
"Where's that crushed concrete? It's in our lungs now," says Noviello, 39, of East Islip, N.Y. "Do I feel
depressed? How would you feel if you smelled death for two weeks? You saw body parts and body bags go
by. I'm a Long Island boy. I've never witnessed anything like that before."
There may be thousands more like him. An estimated 30,000 to 50,000 workers-including
carpenters, construction crews, firefighters, day laborers and volunteers from around the country-joined
in Ground Zero recovery efforts. Only now are medical researchers beginning to understand the health
problems those Ground Zero workers still face:
Nearly 80 percent of emergency responders reported at least one pulmonary symptom that
developed or worsened as a result of their World Trade Center-related efforts. Fifty percent of all
responders examined were still experiencing pulmonary, mental health, or ear, nose and throat symptoms
a year after the attacks. That's according to preliminary data released Jan. 27 by the Mount Sinai Medical
Center in New York.

Mount Sinai Medical Center continues a monitoring process. Many of the entertainment workers visit the health center every twelve to eighteen months to track their health. The World Trade
Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program continues to offer free health care to registered
clients who meet the guidelines for medical conditions outlined on their website.
n Charlie Libin's life was changed, as were the lives of countless others who responded when
their skills were needed. He remembers how he felt then, and how he has felt every anniversary
since. "At the end of each of our shifts, we would pull back our cables and load our lights into
trucks donated from various rental houses, until re-rigging for another night's work. I would catch

summer 2011

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