Glen Karpovich on his last day on the police force.By Glen Karpovich, Regional Emergency Management Specialist, Office of Regional Operations
Eighteen months before Sept. 11, 2001, I had retired after 25 years of police service and had gone into emergency management/business continuity consulting. One of the questions I was asked most often was “do you miss it?” I guess the part that I miss the most would be helping people. This was never more validated than on Sept. 11.
Consulting in the private sector was nice, but you usually did not stay at one spot long enough to really get to know the people you were working with or see the outcome of your projects.
On Sept. 11, I was at a financial firm in Midtown Manhattan a block from Grand Central Station. That morning when the first plane hit I thought it was an accident, when the second plane hit I knew it was terrorists and we were under attack. Something that used to happen “over there” was now happening here. Being in New York City, most of the employees knew someone that may be working in the World Trade Center or later the responding Police, Fire or EMS personnel.
When the second plane hit, I knew I may not be getting out of New York City for some time as I knew the terrorism plan called for the shutting down of the bridges and tunnels connecting to New Jersey and the outer boroughs. I thought about going down to what would become to be known as Ground Zero but realized that there would be more than enough first responders and they didn’t need people self-deploying themselves. I wanted to help at the scene but sometimes the best help is to keep out of the way.
President Obama meets Glen Karpovich, ACF Regional Emergency Management Specialist.Later in the day when I was finally able to leave the city, I went home to see my family and see how they were. Our daughters had just started the new school year, one in third grade and the other just starting kindergarten. They were both very upset by the sound of the jet fighters making a loop over our home. Once they were reassured, I reported to my town’s Office of Emergency Management (where I had continued to assist after retiring from the police department). That evening and for the following weeks and months we all wondered when and where the next attack would take place. I just felt I had to be able to do more.
Several years passed and when the Regional Emergency Management Specialist (REMS) position was created at ACF, first as a contractor position in a few regions. I applied and was hired by the contracting firm. I started in November of 2006. Later I was hired for the federal position and haven’t looked back.
At ACF I have been able to help with the creation of the Human Services in emergencies and disasters program as well as being deployed to some major incidents that allowed me to get back to hands-on helping with people. Often we get separated from the public when working in an office. But while engaged with the Immediate Disaster Case Management program in Upstate New York after Tropical Storms Irene and Lee in 2011, Superstorm Sandy in my home state of New Jersey in 2012, or the unaccompanied children from Central America along the border last year, it brings you back to the reality of what we are here for and what an honor it is to be able to help.