ASHLAND — The Ashland Fire Division and Ashland Police Division had a moment of silence Thursday for the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
Police and firefighters lined up outside the Ashland Fire Division Station One at 10 a.m., which is around when the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in 2001.
Following the moment of silence, Ashland Fire Chaplain Austin Rissler read a passage about why the divisions gathered on Thursday.
“On that morning, when towers burned and the world shook, hundreds of firefighters rushed forward into the smoke and flame. 343 never returned. They did not die in vain; they gave their lives so that others might live. Their names may not all be known to us personally, but their sacrifice is written on the heart of this nation.”
Ashland Fire Chaplain Austin Rissler
“So today, let this be more than a moment of silence; let it be a moment of commitment. To every firefighter here: carry their legacy with honor,” Rissler said, “Let the memory of the fallen be the fire that steels your heart, the reason you answer each alarm and the reminder that your calling is holy work.”
In the immediate aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, 343 firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers, eight paramedics and 55 military personnel died responding to the situation.
Ashland City Council members Steve Workman, Dennis Miller, Angela Miller and Dan Lawson attended the ceremony.
Miller shared that she was in her living room when she heard the news in 2001. She picked up her daughter from school, and they sat on the couch for the rest of the day watching the news.
Thursday was a beautiful day, featuring blue skies, just like it was in 2001, Miller said.
Chris Schmidt, a firefighter and paramedic, said he was at the fire station for a yearly training when he and the crew heard the news. The firefighters would not return to the training. They watched the news as closely as they could.
“We need to remember and teach those who weren’t around,” Anderson said.
