MUNCIE, Ind. - When Ball State University's Robert Hayes enters Washington, D.C., in the next few days, he will attempt to help people cope with a disaster more horrific than anyone imagined possible.

Hayes, a counseling psychology professor, will fly to the east coast as soon as regular flights are allowed to serve as an emergency counselor for the Red Cross operations near the Pentagon.

He is attempting to bring along a group of Ball State doctoral students to work with emergency workers.

"Every one of the emergency support workers is going to need help to cope with this," he said. "It will not be easy because so many police and firefighters have died. There are no easy answers for situations like this."

Hayes, who has been a member of the Red Cross Aviation Incident Response Team since 1997, has witnessed firsthand how emergency workers refuse to give up hope.

"They are on automatic pilot and will work until they drop. They won't go home. They won't stop until someone pulls them aside."

The challenge will be meeting with emergency workers on a daily basis during debriefing sessions.

"I will be there to help them cope with the situation," Hayes said. "We have to let them talk through their feelings. Most of these people will be okay if they can just talk about what they are going through to someone else.

"At first they are just concentrating on the work and doing their job," he said. "But, eventually it will hit them."

Hayes is being called upon because of his background in dealing with terrorist actions, including the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City.

He also was one of 20 individuals to be trained to provide mental health services at aviation mishaps by the International Disaster Response Unit Cross Aug. 19-24 in San Jose, Costa Rica.

"Even though we talked about things, this scenario is too wild to even imagine," Hayes said. "I guess I will be entering a war zone."

Hayes has provided mental health assistance to workers and disaster victims at 20 disaster sites since 1994, rising through the American Red Cross ranks from technician to disaster/mental health officer. He also is an instructor of Red Cross advanced disaster courses.

By Marc Ransford, Communications Manager

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Hayes at rhayes@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8042.)