Every year when September 11 comes around, we in the Fire Service pay our respects to those killed that horrible day in many ways. This year, Engineer Matt Cole with the Sacramento Metro Fire District organized an event that we hope to continue for many years.
Tomorrow morning, September the 11th at 8:00 A.M., 343 Firefighters from throughout the Sacramento Region will participate in a “9/11 Memorial Climb” at the Renaissance Tower at 8th & K Streets in Downtown Sacramento.
This event is to pay tribute to the 343 New York City Firefighters who were killed on September 11, 2001. Firefighters will climb the inside stairs, to the top of the building four times, for a total of 110 flights. The 110 flights represent how tall the World Trade Center Towers were.
Each Firefighter has paid a registration fee and all proceeds from this event will go to the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, Widows and Orphans Fund. This event is not open to the public, however anyone can contribute to the charity by visiting this site; www.ufanyc.org/funds/widows_and_children.php
This event is sponsored by the Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 and could not be possible without the help of the Renaissance Tower, USAA Real Estate Company, and SITQ.
No matter what you do tomorrow, please keep in your heart the memory of the Firefighters and all of the victims that were killed that tragic day. It has been 8 years since these terrorists committed this horrible crime, but we must never forget.
Below is a portion of an email that Sacramento Fire Department, Battalion Chief Marc Bentovoja, sent out today to our Fire Department. He was one of many from Sacramento that responded to the World Trade Center on that day;
“As an agency, eight years ago this week the Sacramento Fire Department responded to WTC. The events were incomprehensible and many that responded took home indelible life altering images and memories. To a person, those that responded will state that it was an honor to have been able to represent our agency and City at this tragic incident. As we come to another anniversary of 9/11 we will all be swamped with media accounts and public comment by those that have the luxury of only remembering the events of that day once a year. I commend those of you that have chosen/volunteered in formal ways to memorialize those that gave their lives in efforts to save others. Events such as the 110 flight stair climb are great ways to raise the public consciousness in remembrance of the 343 from WTC. But if we want to truly honor their memory, we need to honor it daily. We're all personally responsible for our own Knowledge Skills and Abilities relative to our job. The Department has a responsibility to provide us with a level of training, a foundation if you will. But we as individuals, officers, etc. have much more control over our level of performance. Average is not good enough, mediocrity kills. We've all been apart of, or a witness to, an on the job "Close call". Did we survive these "Close calls" because of good training/preparation, or did we create the "Close call" because of a lack of training/preparation?
Our profession has come a long way over the years. Some changes have been for the good, some not so good. Technology has made available training aids and information never before seen. My opinion is that "Lap top" Computers in recliners don't train us for the next time our abilities will be tested by a high risk, low frequency situation. We'd better be ready! Captains, are your personnel going home everyday because you've prepared and trained them, or because of the "luck of the draw" they just weren't tested that tour?
So, as 9/11 approaches hug your kids a little tighter, appreciate life a little more. But honor those that "gave" their lives by preparing for the event that we pray never happens. I don't want to deal with another 9/11. I do want to sleep at night knowing those I work for, with and supervise, are better trained because we've done everything in our power to prepare them for even the unimaginable!”
Tomorrow morning, September the 11th at 8:00 A.M., 343 Firefighters from throughout the Sacramento Region will participate in a “9/11 Memorial Climb” at the Renaissance Tower at 8th & K Streets in Downtown Sacramento.
This event is to pay tribute to the 343 New York City Firefighters who were killed on September 11, 2001. Firefighters will climb the inside stairs, to the top of the building four times, for a total of 110 flights. The 110 flights represent how tall the World Trade Center Towers were.
Each Firefighter has paid a registration fee and all proceeds from this event will go to the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, Widows and Orphans Fund. This event is not open to the public, however anyone can contribute to the charity by visiting this site; www.ufanyc.org/funds/widows_and_children.php
This event is sponsored by the Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 and could not be possible without the help of the Renaissance Tower, USAA Real Estate Company, and SITQ.
No matter what you do tomorrow, please keep in your heart the memory of the Firefighters and all of the victims that were killed that tragic day. It has been 8 years since these terrorists committed this horrible crime, but we must never forget.
Below is a portion of an email that Sacramento Fire Department, Battalion Chief Marc Bentovoja, sent out today to our Fire Department. He was one of many from Sacramento that responded to the World Trade Center on that day;
“As an agency, eight years ago this week the Sacramento Fire Department responded to WTC. The events were incomprehensible and many that responded took home indelible life altering images and memories. To a person, those that responded will state that it was an honor to have been able to represent our agency and City at this tragic incident. As we come to another anniversary of 9/11 we will all be swamped with media accounts and public comment by those that have the luxury of only remembering the events of that day once a year. I commend those of you that have chosen/volunteered in formal ways to memorialize those that gave their lives in efforts to save others. Events such as the 110 flight stair climb are great ways to raise the public consciousness in remembrance of the 343 from WTC. But if we want to truly honor their memory, we need to honor it daily. We're all personally responsible for our own Knowledge Skills and Abilities relative to our job. The Department has a responsibility to provide us with a level of training, a foundation if you will. But we as individuals, officers, etc. have much more control over our level of performance. Average is not good enough, mediocrity kills. We've all been apart of, or a witness to, an on the job "Close call". Did we survive these "Close calls" because of good training/preparation, or did we create the "Close call" because of a lack of training/preparation?
Our profession has come a long way over the years. Some changes have been for the good, some not so good. Technology has made available training aids and information never before seen. My opinion is that "Lap top" Computers in recliners don't train us for the next time our abilities will be tested by a high risk, low frequency situation. We'd better be ready! Captains, are your personnel going home everyday because you've prepared and trained them, or because of the "luck of the draw" they just weren't tested that tour?
So, as 9/11 approaches hug your kids a little tighter, appreciate life a little more. But honor those that "gave" their lives by preparing for the event that we pray never happens. I don't want to deal with another 9/11. I do want to sleep at night knowing those I work for, with and supervise, are better trained because we've done everything in our power to prepare them for even the unimaginable!”