Yesterday, we held our annual 9/11 memorial service. As a part of our service, our very own Chief of Emergency Medical Services, Christina Vincent delivered the speech. In short, she did an amazing job describing her experiences on that day and her reflections of its impact on all of us, and I wanted to share her words with you all on my blog. The following is the speech:
0700 September 11,2001
As I
stepped out into the bright sunlight and beautiful clear blue skies on that
warm summer morning from the dimly lit hospital EMS crew room, I had only two
things on my mind: getting home as quickly as I could to begin the usual rushed
morning routine to spend an hour with my 11-year-old daughter over breakfast
before school and attempting to encourage myself mentally that I only had 12
hours to go before I could lie down and sleep. I had just finished my third,
very busy night shift in a row in the city and, as was normal at the time, was
heading in for my first of two dayshifts. Exhaustion was a common, constant
trait for most in emergency services, and with it, at times, came an air of
complacency.
When I pulled into the parking lot of this very
building to start my dayshift tour, my partner MaryAnn was already outside with
our ambulance running. She appeared unusually anxious, rushing me to the truck
to take a call before our shift began, telling me that planes had crashed into
the Twin Towers in NY and that our entire county was inundated with backed-up
911 calls. I remember telling her the entire weekend had been busy, and I
thought it was probably a small twin-engine type plane.
When we returned to our station, she quickly
turned on the news, and it was at that moment I saw the footage for the first
time of flight 11 striking the WTC North Tower at 0846, immediately followed by
the footage of flight 175 striking the WTC South Tower at 0903. As the live
updates continued coming in, it was reported that Flight 77 had crashed into
the Pentagon at 0937. We, the United States of America, were under attack, and
it wasn’t over. These reports were interrupted by live streams from NYC at
0959. We watched helplessly as the South Tower’s massive 110 floors collapsed
to the ground, almost as if in slow motion. And then again at 1028 when the
North Tower collapsed. My heart sank, and the immediate gut-wrenching reality
sank in. It had only been 3 hours since my only thought was to get through
another routine dayshift so I could go home to my family and sleep. In the
blink of an eye, there were now hundreds of emergency personnel and thousands of
civilians perishing right before our eyes who would never again have that
privilege and there was nothing we could do about it. News images and reports
continued. Fire trucks, Ambulances, Law enforcement, and citizens could be seen
rushing through the streets of NYC through the chaos, smoke, and dust plumes to
help in any way they could, covered with the aftermath remnants of toxic dust
and debris.
Stepping
outside our station there was an eerie silence since all aircraft, nationwide,
had been grounded. The common thought of all emergency personnel working that
day was, “Are we next”? The sounds of dispatched tones and pager alerts rang
differently that day. The sounds of sirens from responding units to routine
calls in our area were accompanied by heart-wrenching thoughts for their
safety.
The thoughts kept running through my mind of all the emergency personnel in NYC that morning when they received the initial dispatch for a plane into the North Tower. A half cup of coffee was left on the crew room table, never to be finished. The table conversations with co-workers that had started at the beginning of the shift…… friendly bantering between crew members about the past weekend’s baseball games and whose team was better. Or who had the best fantasy football picks for the upcoming season? Or possibly partners bragging to each other about their kids or maybe an upcoming family vacation. Older members pick on the rookies, or rookies pick on the old dinosaurs. Yet each one would put themselves in harm's way for the other.
Within
two hours, they were all gone.
Today,
we gather here at this solemn 9/11 memorial to remember and reflect upon one of
the darkest days in our nation's history. Twenty-two years have passed since
our world was forever changed, but let the memories and lessons of September
11, 2001, remain etched in our hearts and minds forever.
On that tragic day, our nation faced an
unprecedented act of terrorism brought to fruition because of what was later
described as a lack of imagination of what true evil is capable of. It was a
day marked by unimaginable loss, heroism, and resilience. We remember the
nearly 3,000 innocent lives taken from us, and we honor their memory. We pay
tribute to all of the first responders, EMS, firefighters, police officers, and
emergency personnel who rushed into danger to save lives, many making the
ultimate sacrifice. Their bravery serves as a testament to the indomitable
spirit of the United States of America.
In the aftermath of 9/11, our nation came
together in an outpouring of unity and solidarity. We demonstrated that even in
the face of unspeakable horror, we could rise above our differences and stand
united as one people. This spirit of unity must never be forgotten. Today, as
we look back on the events of that day, let us also remember the families and
communities devastated by profound loss who found the strength to rebuild and
carry on. We also remember the heroes who have fought and continue to fight to
keep us safe in the aftermath of 9/11. Our military, law enforcement, and
intelligence agencies have worked tirelessly to protect us from further acts of
terrorism. Their dedication and sacrifice deserve our gratitude and support. To
the multitudes of people who worked tirelessly on the rescue and recovery
efforts, those who survived the attacks or were lower Manhattan residents who
have suffered long-term illness, injuries and even death after being exposed to
the hazards and toxins. To those who continue to struggle with mental health of
PTSD from witnessing firsthand the horrific scenes from that day.
Never
forget:
For
those who sat in terror on planes
For
those who never saw it coming in buildings
For
those who jumped instead of burning, (some holding hands)
For the
Firefighters who NEVER stopped fighting
For the
Police officers who never stopped protecting
For the
EMS personnel who never stopped caring for or giving medical treatment
For the
search and rescue teams including their faithful and trained K9s who worked
days on end in the hopes of finding and saving just one life
For the
co-workers who died together
For the
ordinary people who became extraordinary examples of heroism and courage
For the
loved ones of the lost and for the lost themselves
And for
the uncommon valor in the face of unspeakable evil
Please NEVER
FORGET.
Looking
forward, let us reaffirm our commitment to the principles that define our
nation: liberty, justice, freedom, compassion, and equality for all. Let us
ensure that the memory of 9/11 continues to inspire us to build a world where
hatred and violence have no place and where respect, diversity, and
understanding prevail.
In closing, let us remember that while the scars
of 9/11 may never fully heal, they serve as a reminder of our shared humanity,
our capacity to endure, and our determination to stand up against evil. As we
leave this memorial today, let us carry with us the lessons of 9/11: the
importance of unity, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the values that
make our nation great.
May we never forget those we lost that day. May
we continue to honor their memory through our actions and our commitment to a
better, more peaceful world.
NOTE: The ceremony was held at our 9/11 Memorial Park located on Pilla Avenue. I encourage you all to visit as a way to never forget that fateful day. For more information on the park that was donated to the Township by the Lawrence Township First Aid Squad, here is the link: Lawrence Township New Jersey - Lawrence Township First Responder 9/11 Memorial (lawrencetwp.com)
