09/26/03 FRI 11:32 FAX g]001

Attn: Dan Marcus

Dan,
I have attached nine pages of questions that NIST
Intends to ask first responders. Please feel free to
share them with your team in New York.

Regards,
re/03 FRI 11:32 FAX
-26-2003 li:28 OFFICE OF NIST COUNSEL

WTC Investigation DRAFT

July 28,2003

Semi-Structured Interview Protocol

First Responders
Logistics
ASSUMPTION: Randy will provide the names and telephone numbers
of the individuals who are to be interviewed

0. Upon meeting the subject at the interview location (be it the R's home, the
workplace, the interviewing facility, or some other location)
- Greet the subject
verify subject identity
- provide subject with preparatory materials:
i. a written Informed Consent Statement on NIST letterhead that
subject signs (to effect written consent) and return to us (they keep
a copy for themselves) - Attachment A
ii. a one-page Subject Information Sheet to verify information that
we gathered when setting the appointment (e.g., Responder Type,
work location, time of arrival at site, building entered) -
Attachment 6
prior to commencement of interview, the NuStats' Interviewer reviews the
Subject Information Sheet to familiarize himself/herself with the subject
and to assemble interview materials (e.g., blueprint sheets of WTC, map
of the WTC complex, pictures)

1. Introduction
Interviewer welcomes & thanks the subject for attending
Tells R why we have asked them to participate:
i, What the study is about
ii. Why you have been selected
iii. Review the purpose of the interview
- Provide overview of what will occur (i.e., review "agenda")
Asks if there are any questions about the Informed Consent Statement
Provides subject with a list of free resources in the event that he/she
requires treatment

2. Conduct In-Depth Interview

see Semi-Structured Script — Attachment C

3. Dismissal
 5/03 FRI 11:33 FAX
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Attachment A
Informed Consent Statement

Informed Consent Statement elicits written consent and communicates:

What is occurring (WTC Investigation)
Who we are (sponsorship — NIST)
What we want (R participation in study)
Burden (how long, what we ask about, risks & benefits)
Confidentiality & Privacy
Voluntary nature of participation
How to obtain more information

«NIST LETTERHEAD»

FIRST RESPONDER
Informed Consent

The collapse of New York City's World Trade Center structures on September 11, 2001, was the
worst building disaster in recorded history. Thousands were killed and injured, including the
deaths of over 350 fire and emergency responders. In response to the WTC tragedy, the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting a federally mandated
investigation into the collapse. You are being asked to voluntarily participate in this Investigation.

The WTC investigation is aimed at gathering information to help improve building and fire codes,
standards, and practices. The investigation also seeks to improve the way that building
professionals (e.g., facility owners, contractors, architects, engineers), emergency responders,
and regulatory authorities prepare for and respond to future disasters. Ultimately, the goal of this
investigation is to improve public safety.

Your cooperation with the Investigation involves participating in a 120-minute personal debriefing
with a representative of our research staff and completing some informational forms. The
purpose of the interview is to gather information about what you experienced (i.e., saw. heard,
felt, smelled) while you were in the building - your observations about how suppression and
communications systems worked, how well the equipment worked, what problems you
encountered and how you overcame them, and what assistance you were able to provide to
occupants.

Because the debriefing involves the recollection of a traumatic experience, some participants will
experience emotional discomfort. Our professional research staff is highly trained in the
debriefing process and will be able to help you address any discomfort you may encounter.
Moreover, you may choose to stop the debriefing process at any time. Finally, a list of free
counseling services will be provided to all participants in the event that follow-up counseling is
needed.

NIST will keep the identities of the participants confidential, No one other than research staff at
NIST and its research contractor NuStats will have access to your identity. And access to
identifying information will only be provided to these staff on an as-needed basis. The staff has
signed legally binding pledges of confidentiality. Moreover, your identities will not be associated
 26/ 0 3_ FRI 11: 3 3 FAX
OFFICE OF NIST COUNSEL @]004
EP-2S-2003 11=29

with your responses. Data will be reported only in summary form. To the outside world you
information will appear anonymous.

NIST is a non-regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce and is conducting this
investigation under the authority of the National Construction Safety Team Act (P.L 107-231). By
law, this investigation is strictly one of fact-finding; it cannot be used in any suit or action for
damages.

If you would like more information about this investigation, please fee! free to call Dr. Johanna
Zmud, NuStats Project Director, at 800 447-8287 x 2225, or Mr. Jason Averill, NIST Project
Director, at 301 xxx-xxxx. You can also consult our web site at http://wtc.nist.gov.

Please complete the form below and keep a copy for your records.

I have read the Informed Consent Statement and I understand the voluntarily nature of this
investigation and agree to participate:

PRINT YOUR NAME;

YOUR SIGNATURE GOES HERE:

P6/03 FRI 11:33 FAX
-26-2003 11=29 OFFICE OF NIST COUNSEL

Attachment 6

Subject Information Sheet

First Responders
(extracted from telephone recruitment data)

Purpose: This sheet is an extract of data taken during the "appointment call"; it
provides basic information that the Interviewer will need

Contact information

Name: (Full name) SI, S2

Address: (Street number & name, Apt., city, State, Zip) S3-S7
Land Phone #; S3
Cell Pnone #:S9
Email address: $10

Contact Person's Name (e.g., Spouse, Partner, Relative): SU

Contact Person's Relationship to you: $12
Contact Person's City & State; S13
Contact Person's Telephone: S M

9/11/01 Employer: S20

9/11/01 Rank
9/11/01 Unit Assignment/Station (if applicable): S2I

Data taken from the appointment call:

Gender CM
Age C2
Disability or limited mobility flag (as a result of injuries suffered during the WTC response) C3

Current Employer (FDNY, PAPD, NYPD, none, etc.) XXXX

Time of arrival or initiation of response YYYY
WTC building entered, if any LULL
Extent of maximum penetration into building (for those who entered) QQQQ

Injuries suffered WWWW

Treatment received VVV'V

Ongoing treatment flag (physical and/or emotional) SSSS

Other????
26/03 FRI 11:34 FAX 0006
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Attachment C

Semi-Structured Narrative Script

First Responders

Hello Mr./Mrs. XXXXX. I am pleased to meet you. Thank you for agreeing to be
interviewed, Before we begin... «ask about creature comfort stuff- water, restroom,
too hot/cold, if light intensity bothering, whatever»

Well, thank you for agreeing to participate in this investigation. Let's take care of some
paperwork, first. Have you had a chance to read and sign the consent statement?
«RETRIEVE THE SIGNED CONSENT STATEMENT» Did you have any questions
about this before we begin? (If any questions come up after you leave, please feel free to
call the number on the consent statement.,,)

OK, now let me tell you about the investigation and how you can help us....
«hriefly repeat the information in the informed consent statement - this reassures the
subject that everyone lias a common understanding of the investigation and is a nice, safe
segue to the narrative»

Now during this session, I will ask a series of questions that focus on specific issues we
are trying to learn more about. There are no right or wrong answers. We are interested in
and greatly appreciate whatever you have to offer.

Do you have any questions? OK, let's get started. (Sec Semi-structured interview
protocol below)

NEED SPECIFIC PROBES (if any)... do we just use the occupant probes??
r6/03 FRI 11:34 FAX 01007
— 1 1 ; il~y u r r m z ur I N I 31 (-UUMOC.L. i-.or

Semi-Structured Interview Protocol

First Responders
(FDNY, NYPD, PAPD)

I am now going to ask some questions about different tilings you might have experienced
or that you have an opinion about. So just answer the questions as best you can, and it is
ok to say you don't know or don't have anything to add other than what you said earlier.

I. Dispatch & Arrival

1. Were you on duty when the call was dispatched? (If no, ask about voluntary
return to duty and being called back, including how called back)

2. Tell me (more) about your role as a member of the response unit you were with.

3. What was the composition of your unit?

4. Where did you depart from?

5. About what time did you arrive at WTC? Where outside?? (Use milestones if
necessary)

6. Where did you arrive? (e.g., specific building, staging area; probe for detail)

7. Where was your vehicle parked?

8. Tell me about the other units or responders that were at the scene when you
arrived.

9. From whom did you and your unit receive orders at the scene? (Did this change
over time?) What were your orders?

10. Did you unit commence operations your unit intact, or was it split up to join other
response teams?

11. What equipment did you have and what equipment did our unit have as you
approached the building for entry? (be sure to capture communications
equipment)
 /6/03 FRI 11:34 FAX _
.^-26-2003 11:36 OFFICE OF N1ST CQUNStL , .^ JjSOOS

II. Entry

12. What buildings did you enter? About what time did you enter? (If more than one
entry, get location, sequence & timing for each entry) Which entry did you use?
(repeat for multiple entries; use blueprints as necessary)

13. What was the condition of the building as you entered it? (probe for visuals,
sounds, heat, feeling/movement)

14. What did you notice regarding the operations of suppression systems?

15. What were you tasked to do upon entry?

III. Communications & Encounters

Let's talk about how you communicated with the command post and the people you
encountered.

16. When you entered, what communications equipment did you have? What did you
use? How well did it work? (What problems did you have with communications?
How did you deal with them?)

17. While in the building, how did you receive your orders? Who gave them?

] 8. How often did you communicate with central command, and what was the nature
of your communications?

19. Once inside, how did you get information about the condition of the building?

20. Tell me about how you interacted and coordinated operations with other units in
the building? (How/how well would you say this happened? What worked well,
and what didn't work well?)

21. How well were you able to communicate with members of the unit with whom
you entered?

22. Tell me about the people - both responders and occupants - that you personally
encountered while in the building. What were they doing? What was their
condition? How did you interact with them or help them? (Be sure to identify
encountered first responders by type, e.g., NYPD, FDNY, PA, etc.)

TOTflL P.01
 ^6/03 FRI 11:35 FAX
.P-26-2003 11:30 OFFICE OF MIST COUNbhL

IV, Structural Integrity

The next set of questions focus on the building structure.

23. Let's go back to the time you first entered the building (specify & repeat as
necessary for multiple building entries'). Talk about the debris that was falling
when you entered.

24. Now tell me about structural building damage you observed as you entered.

25. What was the state of the various suppression systems? (As necessary, ask about
sprinklers, stand pipes, emergency lights, PA systems)

26. What pre-positioned equipment did you use in the building?

27.'What can you tell me about the working condition of the elevators? (Specify
which elevators are referred to)

28. What were the conditions of each stairwell you went into? (probe for structural as
well as crowding, locked doors, etc.)

29. Please trace your path while you were in the building using this blueprint, and tell
me what you saw, heard, smelled, felt and did. We are specifically interested in .
the structural condition of the building.

30. What events and decisions caused you to leave the building? (probe for nature of
cause - assessment of danger/personal decision, responding to orders, building
collapsed upon them) Where were you when you decided you had to leave?

31. Did everyone in your unit evacuate at the same time, or did some stay behind? (If
some stayed behind, probe for circumstances)

32. Did all the members of the unit survive? (If some died, probe: Tell me what you
know about what you unit's lost members were doing and where they were about
the time of their death.)

V. Training & Equipment Assessment

Now we'd like to collect your thoughts about your training and the equipment you used.

33. Give me your assessment about how well your training prepared you for
responding to the events of 9/11? Would there be $ome area that you'd want
more intensive training? What additional training that you did not receive might
have been beneficial?
 .'6/03 FRI 11:35 FAX
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34. How well would you say that the different groups - PD, FDNY, NYPD and others
- worked together? What, if anything, would you change if you could?

35. How well did your equipment work? What additional equipment would have
been useful and why?

VI. Conclusion

This is our final set of questions,

36. What else can you tell me that might be useful for our investigation?

37. Are there particular people that you would recommend we interview for this
investigation?

Thank you for your time. If you think of anything that might be important please do not
hesitate to call us.

TDTflL P.09
 DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY - 9/15/03

AGREEMENT BETWEEN
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
AND
THE CITY OF NEW YORK

THIS AGREEMENT is entered into as of September [?], 2003 by the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the City of New York (NYC), (the "Parties") to set
forth the conditions governing certain NIST interviews of employees of the City of New York.

Whereas, NIST is conducting an investigation of the September 11, 2001, World Trade
Center disaster under the authority of the National Construction Safety Team Act, P.L. 107-231
(the "NIST WTC Investigation"); and

Whereas, to accomplish the objectives of Projects 7 and 8 of the NIST WTC

Investigation, it is necessary for NIST to interview employees of the Fire Department of New
York (FDNY) and the New York Police Department (NYPD); and

Whereas, the Parties wish to set forth the conditions governing the conduct of such
interviews;

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein, the

parties hereto agree as follows:

1. The City of New York will use its best efforts to arrange a significant number of
interviews by NIST of employees of FDNY and PDNY.NIST will conduct
approximately 100 interviews with employees of FDNY and approximately 25
interviews with omployoos of NYPD. The actual number of interviews
eettductod shall bo subject to agroomcnt by NIST and the National Commission
eft-Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States that together they [Option 1: NIST
shall ftet conduct approximately mefe-tbat 400 60 interviews of FDNY
employees and 3£ 15 interviews of PDNY employees.] [Option 2: The actual
number of interviews conducted shall be subject to agreement by NIST and the
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States that together
they shall not conduct more than 100 interviews of FDNY employees and 25
interviews of NYPD employees.]

2. Selection of FDNY employees to participate in the interviews will be made by

NIST from tke-a_list of 300 names previously provided to the City of New York
by NIST. Selection of NYPD employees to participate in the interviews will be
 made by NIST. NIST will identify the subject areas concerning which they desire
information. The FDNY and NYPD will then provide NIST with the names of
their members who are knowledgeable with respect to these areas, with the names
of FDNY employees selected from the list of 300 names previously provided
NIST by the City of New York. NIST will select interviewees from these lists. If
NIST desires to interview a member not on a FDNY or NYPD list, NIST will
notify the appropriate Department and the City will use its best efforts to make
such member available for interview. It is understood that the City shall not be
required to compel any employee to participate in an interview.

3. Interviews with employees of FDNY will be scheduled by the FDNY Court Desk
in consultation with NIST.
Interviews with employees of NYPD will be scheduled by in
consultation with NIST. Each interview will be scheduled for a four hour period. Interviews are
expected to run two to four hours each.

4. The following persons will be permitted in the interview room during the
interviews: the interviewer, the interviewee, up to two NIST observers, one NIST
attorney observer, one NYC attorney observer, and one attorney representing the
interviewee, who may in certain instances be the NYC attorney, so desires. A
mental health professional provided by [PHS or NYC] will be available outside
the room if needed.

5. Persons in the interview room will be arranged as follows: Only the interviewer
and their attorney and ther
wintervieweer and their interviewee's attorney will be permitted to sit at the table. All
other -attorneys and observers observers will be seated behind and will not have
visual contact with the interviewee.

6. Attorneys observers may observe, take notes, and otherwise represent their clients
but may not interrupt interfere with the orderly conduct of the interview.
Clarification of questions is permissible

7. NYC will hold no pre interview meetings with interviewees to coach the
interviewees regarding the substance of thoir responses. - The interviews shall
not be transcribed or taped and absent court order to the extent permitted by law,
the neither NISTUnitod States nor NYC shall ftet disclose the names or other
identifying information of persons interviewed and shall oppose any request or
application for such dislosure.

8. All additions or modifications to this Agreement must be in writing and signed by

both parties.

9. This Agreement may be terminated by either party upon delivery of written notice
 of termination to the other party.

10. The undersigned represent that they have authority to enter into this Agreement
and to make all of the representations and commitments set forth herein.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the
date first above written.

National Institute of Standards

and Technology City of New York

By: By:

Print Name: Print Name:

Title: Title: