The Rochester Police and Fire Departments held the third annual 9/11 ceremony and commemorated the addition of a 9/11 Memorial to the Rochester Firefighter Memorial on Friday, September 11, marking the 25th anniversary.
“It’s hard to believe 25 years have passed” was a common utterance among the crowd. Most remembered where they were when it happened. Some attendees weren’t around then but came to hear about the day their parents lived through.
After the Processional March of the Rochester Police and Fire Department members, Fire Captain Kevin Richard began the ceremony by saying, “Of all the reminders of that day, the number one image that doesn’t leave us is the firefighters and first responders going in while everyone was coming out of the building because someone above needed them.”
He said the phrase “Never forget” is more than a slogan; it’s a promise to “remember their lives, honor their sacrifice, and carry their memory forward.”
The new 9/11 Memorial, which includes a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, was dedicated. It stands as a lasting tribute to the 343 New York City Fire Department (FDNY) firefighters who lost their lives. The department acquired it almost 25 years ago through connections in New York City to Fire Chief Scott Weigel and current Select Board member Paul Ciaburri.
Mr. Ciaburri, a retired Rochester firefighter, was in New York during 9/11, working on a tugboat transporting people who wanted to get out of Manhattan in the following days. The flag that flew on his tugboat is the same flag he used to wrap the piece of steel during its transport here. Ciaburri said, “The FDNY was impressed!” He decided to donate the special flag for the Remembrance ceremony and said he would use it for every 9/11 memorial.
Rochester Police Chief Michael Assad’s memory of 9/11 was how incredible it was to see so many people running away from the horrible scene as first responders ran toward it, climbing all those stairs. He felt September 12, 2001, “showed the best of America, when we were simply Americans who had each other’s back and stood together.” He also noted, “There is an entire generation who doesn’t know 9/11”; therefore, we must keep remembering for them and generations to come.
Bianka Chibante, a local student invited by her vocal coach to participate, performed the national anthem. She said she was a little nervous but excited to sing for the first time at the Memorial. Another local voice student, Kennedy McKay from Mattapoisett, sang “God Bless America.” She has been singing at the Memorial for three years.
The flag was lowered to half-mast and one minute of silence was observed. The Bell Box rang four sets of five times each, called the Tolling of the Bell, a ritual that symbolizes the end of a firefighter’s duty and honors their sacrifice. Carol Galante-Dias from the Council on Aging read the 9/11 prayer, and Captain Richard shared the firefighter’s prayer.
The Bells tolled again, and the flag was raised.
The Rochester Firefighter Memorial, located at the corner of Cushman and Hartley Road, was built approximately 20 years ago to commemorate those who have fallen. Rochester is an on-call, all-volunteer fire department.
Ward Benner, a retired firefighter, said he’s “still around at 86,” participating in these events. He started his involvement as a child. He used to watch them work because he lives near the original fire department, across from the Memorial. He stepped away for a while, but in 1972, a major fire at the Rounseville Sawmill in Rochester turned out to be “a real tough day,” so he felt he needed to come back and help. “I couldn’t let these guys do this without more help; the job is just too much for them,” he said.
Because the fire department is made up of part-time volunteers, it is difficult to get everyone on hand when fighting a large fire.
In total, 2,977 people were murdered that day, including 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers, 68 first responders, and almost 2,500 civilians. In case you forgot:
At 8:46 am, the North Tower was hit.
At 9:03 am, the South Tower was hit.
At 9:37 am, the Pentagon was hit.
At 9:59 am, the South Tower fell.
At 10:07 am, Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.
And at 10:28 am, the North Tower fell.
On an ordinary Tuesday in New York on September 11, 2001.
By Ann Marie Dunn