Opinion
Opinion

The Other Victims: First Responders to Horrific Disasters Often Suffer in Solitude

The Other Victims: First Responders to Horrific Disasters Often Suffer in Solitude
Firefighters and emergency medical provider are seen in this file photo. Heidi de Marco/File Photo/KHN
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 The day a gunman fired into a crowd of 22,000 people at the country music festival in Las Vegas, hospital nursing supervisor Antoinette Mullan was focused on one thing: saving lives.

She recalls dead bodies on gurneys across the triage floor, and a trauma bay full of victims. “In that moment, we’re not aware of anything else but taking care of what’s in front of us,” Mullan said.