Certain behaviors and personal characteristics that individuals exhibit during a traumatic event are known defenses against stress. They include optimism, conscientiousness and resilience. These characteristics protect individuals up to an extent of preventing post-traumatic stress. Little is known about the protectiveness of behaviors exhibited by survivors evacuated from Towers 1 and 2 of the World Trade Center, on 11 September 2001. The objective of this study is to identify protective behaviors and personal characteristics among these survivors, which may have served as a shield against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).