| September 11, 2001 — Then and Now
Yesterday evening, the Cobb Island Volunteer Fire Department, EMS and Auxiliary gathered together as a Fire Department Family to pay our respects to all those whose lives were lost on September 11, 2001.
We prayed. We told stories. We remembered. And we gathered together in the fellowship that makes the fire service more than an organization — it makes us a family.
Twenty-five years ago, our nation watched in disbelief as the world changed forever. The attacks of September 11, 2001 took the lives of nearly 3,000 innocent people, including firefighters, EMS providers, police officers, military personnel and ordinary citizens who simply went to work that morning.
For those of us in the fire and EMS service, September 11 carries a particularly deep meaning. We remember the hundreds of first responders who ran toward the danger while others were running away. They climbed the stairs, entered the buildings and answered the call, knowing there were people who needed them.
Then, they answered the call.
Today, we continue to answer the call.
The uniforms may be different. The equipment may have changed. Our training, technology and response capabilities have evolved. But the mission remains the same: to serve, to protect, to help, and to never leave someone behind.
9/11 also changed the fire and EMS service. It reminded us of the importance of preparedness, communication, mutual aid, specialized training and, perhaps most importantly, looking out for one another. The sacrifices made that day continue to influence how responders train and operate today.
And while the years have passed, the loss has never truly gone away. Children grew up without parents. Parents buried children. Spouses lost the person they expected to come home that evening. First responders who survived carried the physical and emotional scars with them. Communities were forever changed.
Today, a new generation of firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and cadets is learning what it means to serve. Many were not even born when the towers fell, yet they inherit the responsibility to remember.
That is why we gather.
We gather so that those who were lost are never reduced to a number.
We gather so that the stories continue to be told.
We gather to honor the courage of those who ran toward danger.
And we gather to remind ourselves that the spirit of service that was so evident on September 11, 2001 is still alive today.
From our Fire Department Family at Cobb Island Volunteer Fire Department, EMS & Auxiliary, we remember the innocent lives lost, the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, the survivors, the families who continue to carry the loss, and every responder who answered the call.
We remember.
We honor.
We carry their stories forward.
We will never forget.
September 11, 2001 — Always Remembered. Never Forgotten.
We want to say THANK YOU to the members that planned this wonderful event remembering the lives lost on September 11, 2001. |
