Easthampton Firefighters stand with members of the Police Department outside the Easthampton Public Safety Complex during this year’s 9/11 remembrance ceremony.
Reminder Publishing photos by Trent Levakis
EASTHAMPTON — A 9/11 remembrance ceremony was hosted for the public outside of the Public Safety Complex on what marks 24 years since the terrorist attacks in 2001.
Led by Fire Chief Christopher Norris, the event featured members of the city’s Fire and Police departments and remarks from Norris as well as Department Chaplain Father Bill Hamilton.
Nearly 3,000 people died in New York City, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, in what remains the deadliest act of terrorism in history. In marking the 24th anniversary of that infamous day, the public gathered to reflect and remember those lives lost.
“But in all this remembrance, I can’t help but wonder what we have forgotten. Who were we [Sept.] 10, the day before that fateful day? And what have we become 24 years later? See, if we only remember the grief, the sadness, the anger and the fear of that fateful day, we can easily forget who we have really been called to be,” said Hamilton. “Though time has passed, our remembrance ensures that the legacy of the fallen continues to inspire us toward a better future.”
The remembrance ceremony allowed the public reflection on the police officers, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, military personnel and civilians who lost their lives protecting ours while preserving freedom.
Norris led the ringing of the bells to close out the ceremony which he explained is a ceremony stemming from the fact that bells and telegrams were the original way fire departments would communicate emergencies across a community before the advancement of communications technology.
Using different codes through bells and telegrams, firefighters would be able to message the location of a fire to one another. One of these codes was used to signify the loss of a firefighter, also known as the striking of the four fives. The ceremony included the code, which is five bell strikes repeated in four series, with a slight pause between each series.
“As we leave here today, I again want to recognize all of our first responders, our dispatchers, our police officers, our firefighters, our retired public safety officials and all of our military personnel. Thank you all for your service,” said Norris. “I implore everyone to continue to be respectful, empathetic and understanding. Listen to each other and move forward collectively in the best interest of our community and each other. Here we are again today, banded together for a common purpose, and now is the time for us to remain standing together and help each other through any challenging times.”
