By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
Twenty years ago, while many were running away from the horror of the 9/11 attacks, first responders ran toward the danger. They knew the gravity of the situation and went anyway. They did so, according to McPherson Fire Chief T.J. Wyssmann, out of a great love for their community, the people they served, and each other.
"Those men and women stepped up and did what needed to be done," Wyssmann said. "First responders don't seek fame. They don't seek power. They're not in it for recognition. They are goodhearted human beings who sacrifice their time, minds, and bodies to help others."
It is this spirit that will be honored on Saturday during the McPherson Fire Department's public 9/11 Ceremony.
The ceremony will begin at 8:46 a.m. Saturday at the bandshell in Lakeside Park with an honor guard lowering of the flag to half-staff and a moment of silent reflection according to the itinerary posted on the McPherson Fire Department Facebook page. Wyssmann said the department chose to follow the 9/11 timeline as it would have been in Eastern Time in order to encourage more people to attend the event.
This first moment of silence will mark the time that American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into floors 93-99 of 1 World Trade Center, the North Tower.
A second moment of silence will be at 9:03 a.m., the time that United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into floors 77-85 of 2 World Trade Center, the South Tower.
The third moment of silence will be at 9:37 a.m., when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.
A final moment of silence is scheduled for just after 10 a.m. when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa. It was the only of the four jets to not reach its target, thanks in part to passengers and crew who stormed the cockpit.
At 9:59 a.m. and 10:28 a.m., when the South Tower and North Tower, respectively, collapsed killing thousands, the McPherson Fire Department will maintain a time-honored tradition of ringing out 5/5/5, also known as tolling the bell, symbolizing that a firefighter has died.
Wyssmann explained that in the days long before cellphones, fire alarms communicated with fire stations via a telegraph. Additionally, when a firefighter died in the line of duty, the telegraph company would send out a series of five dashes, followed by a pause, five more dashes and another pause, followed by the final five dashes to let others knows that a fireman had died. Today, those dashes are rung.
At 1 p.m., United States Senator Jerry Moran is scheduled to speak to commemorate the the 20th anniversary of 9/11, according to the McPherson Fire Department ceremony itinerary. Wyssmann and Chaplain Terry Turner also are scheduled to speak during the event, and those attending will be given the chance to reflect on 9/11.
While the McPherson Fire Department conducts a 9/11 ceremony each year, this year's event is more extensive and, for the first time, includes a car show to benefit the Firemen's Benefit Association. Wyssmann said the car show has grown to be much larger than expected, with 80 to 90 participants. The show also will provide those in attendance with an opportunity to see the department's 1928 American LaFrance fire truck that is being restored.
The McPherson event is but one of several in the area.
The Salina Fire Department will have a brief ceremony at Station 1, 222 W. Elm Street, beginning at 7:45 a.m. Saturday, when the flag is lowered to half-staff, Battalion Chief John Goertzen said. The event is open to the public.
The ceremony will include remarks by Chief Kevin Royse and an invocation by one of the department's chaplains, Goertzen said. Additionally, fire personnel at all four Salina stations will stand at attention outside the stations. Like their counterparts in McPherson, Salina firefighters will toll the bell on the department's antique fire truck in memory of those firefighters who died during the 9/11 attacks.
Ellsworth Fire and Rescue has scheduled a 9/11 commemoration event for 4 p.m. Saturday in front of the fire station at Court and Main. Included will be a memorial reveal and dedication honoring the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Additionally, the ceremony will include the singing of the National Anthem, the playing of bagpipes, and an opportunity to touch a piece of the World Trade Center, according to information posted on the Ellsworth Volunteer Fire Dept Facebook page. The department also will ring an end of service in memory of those firefighters who lost their lives while trying to help others during 9/11.
To see a 9/11 timeline from 911memorial.org, click here.