Highlands Fire, Police Departments walk 2,996 + 13 steps in honor of 9/11 first responders
2,996 plus 13 steps were walked by the Highlands Fire Department, Highlands Police Department and more than 100 locals in honor of the first responders, active duty and veterans that lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
Starting at Kelsey Hutchinson Park, the group walked up Main Street at 8:46 a.m., the exact time when the first plane hit the World Trade Center 20 years ago.
The group then turned towards the Highlands Fire Department and kept walking until they reached the Highlands Police Department.
Organizer of the event and volunteer firefighter, Davis Picklesimer lead the group in a prayer, saying the group of first responders are connected with the first responders that lost their lives on Sept. 11.
“They decided to leave their families, leave their loved ones, for the opportunity to serve,” Picklesimer said. “We give thanks to those that say thank you to us. We say thank you to those that bring a box of cookies by the fire department. We say thank you to those that say thank you to EMS when they come to their house in the middle of the night. We also give thanks to those that have a heart that heals. It may be scarred sometimes, it may hurt sometimes, but it does heal. As we remember today, we do have sorrow, but we also have hope and the start of a new day.”
Captain of field operations Mike Jolly read A Hero’s Welcome by Robert Longley:
Time to come home dear brother
Your tour of duty through
You’ve given as much as anyone
Could be expected to do
Just a few steps further
The smoke will start to clear
Others here will guide you
You have no need of fear
You have not failed your brothers
You clearly gave it all
And through your selfless actions
Others will hear the call
So take your place of honor
Among those who have gone before
And know you will be remembered
For now and evermore
“September 11, 2001 will forever be remembered by Americans,” Jolly said. “For a moment, our nation became one. We became united across all, political, cultural, racial and religious divides. We were truly the United States of America. Somewhere along the way, we have faltered and forgotten. Maybe apathy took over? I’m not sure if we just forgot how it felt that day, how our guts sank into our stomachs when we saw those images on our televisions. If we are to survive as a country, we must come back together again.”
HFD chief Ryan Gearhart said that the fire industry is always changing, but it has traditions 200 years deep, including the sounding of the bell.
“In the past, as firefighters began their tour of duty, it was the bell that signaled the start of that day’s shift,” Gearhart said. “Throughout the day and night, each alarm was signaled by a bell which would summon these brave souls to fight fires and put their lives in jeopardy for the good of their fellow citizens. When the fire was out and the alarm had come to an end, it was the bell that would signal the end of that call. We use this bell as a symbol to reflect honor on those that have given so much and have served so well. We ring the bell three times to symbolize the end of our comrade’s duty and that they will be returning to quarters.”
Gearhart said the turnout for the event was way more than expected.
“I figured that we may have maybe 40 to 50 people,” Gearhart said. “But there’s probably more than a hundred here. It was a very somber feeling to walk those steps today. We forget day to day and it being 20 years, you just forget about it. Walking today really brought everything back into perspective.”
- By Christopher Smith