Stacey Goodman was a young police officer with the Suffolk County Police
Department located on Long Island when she got the call to serve at Ground Zero – the
day after the attacks. Goodman was part of a federal agency called the Disaster
Mortuary Operational Response Team and assisted the medical examiner in a
temporary morgue set up next to the massive pile of debris from the downed towers.
“My solemn duty was to do preliminary identification of all the remains that were brought
to us,” said Goodman. She worked 12-hour shifts – 7 days a week for 23 days. There
was no time for emotions or exhaustion. “My duty was to those victims – innocent
people going about their day, and it was all taken away from them in a blink of an eye.”
It’s been over 20 years since Goodman worked at Ground Zero. She would eventually
go on to serve the Suffolk County Police Department as a detective. She retired now
and makes her home in Cave Creek. She wrote a book about her experience titled "The
Dust Never Settles." While the memories fade, she hopes her book can educate future
generations about what really happened. Please join us at our April 4 th Lunch meeting
for this riveting guest speaker.