Easthampton remembers 9/11 on its 25th anniversary

by Trent Levakis | Sep 11, 2026 | Easthampton, Hampshire County, Local News

Easthampton Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Benson led the ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
Reminder Publishing photos by Trent Levakis

EASTHAMPTON — The city honored the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 with its annual Remembrance Ceremony at the Easthampton Public Safety Complex on Friday.

Led by Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Benson, the ceremony featured members of the city’s Fire and Police departments, city officials and employees and community members.

“Twenty-five years ago, we as a nation pledged to never forget the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. On that day we watched in disbelief, in heartache and in grief as our fellow Americans were killed and our spirit as a country was broken,” said Benson. “But it is imperative, particularly in today’s political climate, that we also remember September the 12th, 2001, when we dusted ourselves off, and we stood together. Not as Democrats and Republicans, but as Americans, united in the cause of healing our nation and in honoring those who we lost.”

The ceremony paid tribute to the firefighters, police officers, emergency medical services personnel, military members and civilians who lost their lives as well as the countless first responders and ordinary citizens who demonstrated courage in the face of unimaginable circumstances.

Members of the Easthampton Fire and Police departments gathered outside the Easthampton Public Safety Complex for the ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
Reminder Publishing photos by Trent Levakis

Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in New York City, at the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on that fateful day, and now, 25 years later, their lives and stories remain an important part of the nation’s history and collective memory.

“Among those who perished were hundreds of first responders, men and women who knew that they might never return from this response, but who answered that call anyway and in doing so, inspired the world all over,” said Benson.

Benson led the ringing of the bells to close out the ceremony, which he explained stems from when bells and telegrams were the original way fire departments communicated emergencies across a community before technological advancements.

Using different codes through bells and telegrams, firefighters would message the location of a fire. One of these codes signified the loss of a firefighter, also known as the striking of the four fives. The ceremony included the code: five bell strikes repeated in four series, with a slight pause between each series.

“I’d like to offer a reflection to the firefighters, paramedics, police officers, dispatchers, military and emergency personnel, who run toward danger when others run away. We give thanks to their steady hands, their sharp minds and their deep compassion in moments of crisis. When the alarm sounds, grant them clear thinking, quick judgement and safe keeping. Give them strength when the work is heavy, resilience when the days are long and comfort when they witness pain,” Benson said. “I want to thank you all for being here this morning and for living up to the credo of never forgetting. I ask that you go forth in solemn reflection as we continue to keep the memory of that day alive so that those who were lost were not lost in vain.”