Hard Hat
Photo credit: Jin S. Lee
Accession Number: C.2020.62.1
Dimensions: 6.5 in X 9 in X 12 in
Dimensions (Metric): 16.51 cm X 22.86 cm X 30.48 cm
Dimensions (Metric): 16.51 cm X 22.86 cm X 30.48 cm
Source: Cynthia M. Otto
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. Cindy Otto
Keywords
Dogs
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Ground Zero
Rescue and Recovery
Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT)
Worn or Used After 9/11
Dogs
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Ground Zero
Rescue and Recovery
Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT)
Worn or Used After 9/11
Description
Plastic hard hat with cap-style brim and interior ratchet suspension. The hard hat is white and covered in small scratches. Several stickers are attached to the hat. On the back of the hat is a Pennsylvania National US&R Task Force sicker with the FEMA logo in the center. "CINDY OTTO" is printed in black text on a yellow sticker placed above the bottom rim of the hat. On both the left and right sides of the hat are yellow stickers with "TEC INFO SPECIALIST | PA-TF1" printed in black. On the right side is an American flag sticker and on the left side is a 9/11 commemorative sticker. The hat is slightly discolored and dirty.
Plastic hard hat with cap-style brim and interior ratchet suspension. The hard hat is white and covered in small scratches. Several stickers are attached to the hat. On the back of the hat is a Pennsylvania National US&R Task Force sicker with the FEMA logo in the center. "CINDY OTTO" is printed in black text on a yellow sticker placed above the bottom rim of the hat. On both the left and right sides of the hat are yellow stickers with "TEC INFO SPECIALIST | PA-TF1" printed in black. On the right side is an American flag sticker and on the left side is a 9/11 commemorative sticker. The hat is slightly discolored and dirty.
Historical Notes
Cynthia Otto (DVM and PhD), a veterinarian and associate professor of critical care at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, responded to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 with Pennsylvania Task Force 1. Dr. Otto deployed with the task force from Philadelphia and arrived in New York City on the evening of September 11, 2001. Dr. Otto was assigned to FEMA’s night shift at Ground Zero; she was stationed across West Street at the World Financial Center, where she was available to treat any dog involved in search and rescue operations. She wore this hard hat while working at the site.
Cynthia Otto (DVM and PhD), a veterinarian and associate professor of critical care at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, responded to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 with Pennsylvania Task Force 1. Dr. Otto deployed with the task force from Philadelphia and arrived in New York City on the evening of September 11, 2001. Dr. Otto was assigned to FEMA’s night shift at Ground Zero; she was stationed across West Street at the World Financial Center, where she was available to treat any dog involved in search and rescue operations. She wore this hard hat while working at the site.
Curator's Comment
In an oral history recorded with the Museum in 2016, Dr. Cynthia Otto noted that veterinarians at Ground Zero treated dogs’ cuts and scrapes, rinsed their eyes to remove dust and grit, and cleaned solidified dust from their paws. Dr. Otto also focused on injury prevention, encouraging handlers to make sure that their dogs drank sufficient water and took rest breaks. In her oral history Dr. Otto also expressed her gratitude for the volunteer and philanthropic response she encountered in and around the site. In particular, she mentioned providers of clean socks and laundry service, food service aboard the ship Spirit of New York, and the crowds of cheering supporters along the West Side Highway.
Following her time at Ground Zero, Dr. Otto initiated long-term studies of the dogs who served at the World Trade Center site under FEMA’s aegis and later established the Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is the director.
HIDE
In an oral history recorded with the Museum in 2016, Dr. Cynthia Otto noted that veterinarians at Ground Zero treated dogs’ cuts and scrapes, rinsed their eyes to remove dust and grit, and cleaned solidified dust from their paws. Dr. Otto also focused on injury prevention, encouraging handlers to make sure that their dogs drank sufficient water and took rest breaks. In her oral history Dr. Otto also expressed her gratitude for the volunteer and philanthropic response she encountered in and around the site. In particular, she mentioned providers of clean socks and laundry service, food service aboard the ship Spirit of New York, and the crowds of cheering supporters along the West Side Highway.
Following her time at Ground Zero, Dr. Otto initiated long-term studies of the dogs who served at the World Trade Center site under FEMA’s aegis and later established the Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is the director.
HIDE
