By the next morning Stewart had called back to say his department could use all the help they could get. Authorities made a decision only to allow police chaplains access to the bridge site because of their unique training in “critical incident stress.”

The Burnsville Police Department sent five of its chaplains to join about 25 chaplains from other area police departments.

“We worked initially with the families [who] were there waiting for bodies to be found,” Hall said. “Everyone working down there was pretty much in awe of what happened. Eyeballing the bridge was a lot different [perspective] than any picture could give you.”

Hall said the second day after the bridge collapse, many family members began to lose hope and chaplains were there to grieve with them.

“It was very humbling to be a part of that,” he said. “There were some strong Christians among the group that were family members. After about the third day we started to see Christians among the group ministering to each other.”

According to Hall, on the fourth or fifth day after the tragedy, a group of remaining family members and chaplains were allowed access to the 10th Ave. bridge overlooking the collapse site.

“We just balled and balled together,” Hall said. “That was probably one of the most honoring and memorable moments.”

A group of chaplains and prayer “intercessors” later were allowed out on the 10th Ave. bridge to “pray for God to heal our land, help find the bodies and keep the workers safe,” according to Hall.

The chaplains were also given the responsibility of “working the perimeter” and praying with recovery workers and representatives from OSHA, the FBI and even Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

“To see the heartfelt concern as I talked to the governor, he was really broken and concerned,” Hall said. “To see that expression was just really honoring.”

Hall said many police chaplains often wonder if, as a team, they are ready for “the big one.” He then described the teamwork between chaplains as working “like a well-oiled machine.”

“You are really walking in fairly blindly and asking the Holy Spirit to help you know what to do,” Hall said. “As chaplains, we are trained to engage and see where that takes us, and that’s what we did.”


The Salvation Army
The Twin Cities Salvation Army responded to the I-35W bridge collapse through fundraising and on-site relief efforts.

In the hours and days following the collapse, TSA emergency disaster personnel staffed a mobile canteen on the 10th Ave. bridge (next to the wreckage). Volunteers served food and drink to relief workers, police officers, state officials and other recovery workers.

One of the first TSA responders to arrive on scene (20 minutes after the collapse), Fargo Captain Adam Moore says before he left that night at 12:30 a.m., he provided support to more than 100 police officers.

“The needs were evident that The Salvation Army needed to be there,” Moore said. “As the responders look[ed] up to see who was in the crowd, I was glad to be there behind the shield of The Salvation Army.”

Working together with the Red Cross, TSA also helped serve meals at reception centers at the Minneapolis Holiday Inn, and later at the Red Cross Family Assistance Center located at Augsburg College. The centers were set up to provide meals and emotional support to survivors and families affected by the disaster.

Lisa Mueller, Captain at the Army’s St. Paul Citadel Corps, served in the family center following the disaster.

“The absolute weariness of family was overwhelmingly sad. They seemed to know the likely outcome, but at the same time they spoke lovingly of their missing ones in present terms,” Mueller said. “With many of the families, no words were exchanged, but it is our hope that these families felt the comforting presence of God through the service of those who stood with them.”

The State of Minnesota also asked TSA to assist in fundraising efforts to benefit individuals and families directly affected by the bridge collapse. Funds raised will help cover funeral expenses, medical bills and other unexpected costs for those directly affected by the tragedy.

“Supporting the courageous individuals and families affected by this catastrophe is a privilege,” said Major Paul Fleeman, commander of the Twin Cities TSA.

To date, the TSA has raised $54,000 through corporate and private donations and bell-ringing during the Uptown Art Fair, which took place Aug. 3-4.

The Target Corporation donated $25,000 toward the fund. Cub Foods and Macy’s Inc. have also made large donations of food and money to TSA. Another $7,000 was raised through mailed and online donations, and volunteer bell ringers at the Uptown Art Fair raised $5,600.

The money is currently available to people referred to TSA by the Twin Cities Red Cross. Eligibility for relief funds can be determined by calling the Red Cross at (612) 871-7676 or by visiting www.redcrosstc.org.

“The emergency personnel came together, and we as an Army were able to be involved and to do really what we do in those situations—beginning to put the broken pieces of the lives of the people we come in contact with back together,” Moore said.


President recognizes TSA volunteer during Minneapolis visit
MINNEAPOLIS — During a visit to Minneapolis on Aug. 21, President George W. Bush presented the President’s Volunteer Service Award to Jim Daly, a volunteer with The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services.

A volunteer with TSA for seven years, Daly most recently served as the incident commander for the I-35W bridge collapse site. He reported to the bridge site every day to supervise the canteen trucks that served breakfast, lunch and dinner to emergency service personnel, safety officers and Navy divers.