Fire departments nationwide commemorated 9/11 in various ways, and ISO employees attended many of the ceremonies. Here's a look at how towns in New Jersey, Tennessee, and New York remembered.
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Our very own Skip Gibson, community hazard mitigation manager and a retired chief fire marshal with the Cherry Hill Fire Department in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, attended the 9/11 memorial dedication there. To mark the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the Cherry Hill Fire Department and Cherry Hill Township erected a special memorial that included a section of a steel beam from the World Trade Center.
The Cherry Hill 9/11 memorial depicts the Twin Towers and has as its centerpiece a section of steel from the North Tower. Pictured here are Cherry Hill Police Chief Rick Del Campo, Mayor Bernie Platt, and Cherry Hill Fire Chief Robert Giorgio.
New Jersey Congressman Robert Andrews addresses the crowd at the Cherry Hill 9/11 memorial.
Community Hazard Mitigation Manager Skip Gibson (middle) stands with Mayor Bernie Platt (left) and Cherry Hill Fire Chief Robert Giorgio (right) in front of the memorial.
Rutherford County, Tennessee
Peyton Bullen, ISO field representative and assistant fire chief of the Almaville Volunteer Fire Rescue Department (AVFD) in Rutherford County, Tennessee, described the county’s 9/11 commemoration activities:
In honor of their fallen brothers and sisters, members of the AVFD attended the Everyone Goes Home Weekend at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy during the weekend of September 10 and 11. Activities included firefighter safety courses, a memorial honoring the Tennessee firefighters who died this past year in the line of duty, and a tenth anniversary memorial honoring the 343 firefighters of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) who gave their lives on September 11, 2001. Another highlight of the weekend was the Second Annual Nashville Memorial Stair Climb, in which 343 firefighters climbed 110 stories in remembrance of the 343 FDNY firefighters. The participating firefighters, some from the AVFD, wore full gear weighing from 60 to 80 pounds.
The Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial has added a beam from the World Trade Center.
The Tennessee Fallen Firefighter Memorial now includes a new bronze firefighter statue to honor the 343 fallen firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11.
Participating firefighters get ready for the 110-story climb.
New York, New York
Our own Butch Cobb, community hazard mitigation national director and retired deputy chief of the Jersey City (N.J.) Fire Department, attended the 9/11 memorial service in New York City. The 2011 FDNY Battalion 18 memorial service took place at the site of the Firemen’s Memorial, located on Riverside Drive and West 100th Street in New York City.
Butch Cobb (right) meets with Michael Bryant, assistant chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, in front of the memorial commemorating the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their lives that day.
The 2011 FDNY Battalion 18 memorial service in New York City included 343 American flags, one flag for each FDNY firefighter who was lost.