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| Ed Eckenstein looks over a hydrologic atlas amid files and boxes at the state Water Resource's Board's current location, 1901 N Walnut. – Staff Photo by Roger Klock |
A traumatic event such as the Oklahoma City bombing is so shocking and life-altering that it often can overwhelm a person's coping mechanism.
Ed Eckenstein, a geologist with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, was one who understood early on the event's potential for emotional damage among his co-workers.
Eckenstein's sister-in-law had been a survivor of the 1986 Edmond post office massacre, so he soon developed concerns about the emotional toll the bombing might have on co-workers. He knew that unresolved stress also can lead to high worker turnover and destructive work patterns.
The state agency that employed Eckenstein was located across the street from the Murrah Building, which was destroyed in the bombing. All told, some 296 state employees had offices either in the Water Resources Building, across the street from the Murrah Building or in the nearby Journal Record Building.
Both buildings sustained significant damage during the April 19 blast. Two water resources board workers - Bob Chipman and Trudy Rigney - died, and many other state employees were injured, some seriously.
"I felt our agency would need to find someone to help our people deal with the trauma they faced in the workplace," Eckenstein said. "In order to heal, people need a sensitive environment where they know that management and their co-workers care about them."
The head of the state agency endorsed Eckenstein's proposal and promised to find money for the effort.
Eckenstein and a committee of co-workers conducted a national search to find an expert or company that could provide debriefing and other services.
The search led them to Crisis Management International of Atlanta, which conducted group debriefings at the agency for two days. The firm also provided a week of individual counseling for some workers.
All but four of the agency's 70 workers participated.
Afterward, the water resources group arranged with Project Heartland Center to provide additional crisis counseling and to set up a support group for its workers.
Eckenstein believes all these efforts have benefited his agency.
"Talking about a traumatic experience helps people process the pain.
"It also helped that our management listened to us and was not afraid to take employee feedback," he said.
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