Story and Photos by Christopher Martin, Brockport Fire District PIO
The Brockport Fire District hosted a day-long vigil on September 11 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
The red, white, and blue bunting was hung; new signs were installed on the front of the building; the grass was cut; and small American flags were placed around the memorial. At the outset, there were 343 “tags of remembrance” for participants to “adopt.”
The day started with an opening ceremony at 8:30 a.m. The SUNY Brockport Army ROTC unit removed the old, tattered American flag and replaced it with a new one as part of the ceremony. Past Chief Gregory Wing ordered the new flag to half-staff in accordance with Presidential orders. The memorial bell was rung in the Fire Department of New York’s (FDNY) tradition of 5-5-5-5, signifying the loss of a firefighter, at the time of the first strike, and the uniformed honor guard took its place around the memorial from the close of the opening ceremony until the closing ceremony that evening.
The participants in the honor guard – police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, members of the military, and community volunteers – were asked to choose one of the “tags of remembrance” with a firefighter’s photo and name on it before they took their place on the engraved walkway surrounding the memorial. Once they were relieved, as they left the memorial, they rang the bell for “their firefighter” and said his or her name.
The closing ceremony began at 6:30 p.m. and honored the fallen. Sweden Supervisor Patricia Hayles, Senator Rob Ortt, and Assemblyman Steve Hawley offered words of reflection and remembrance in keeping with the theme of the day. The Gates Police Keystone Pipes and Drums played “America the Beautiful” at the beginning of the ceremony and “Amazing Grace” during the ceremony. The ROTC group raised the American flag back to full staff as the sun set over the horizon. Chaplain James Woodward closed the vigil with a prayer, and in the tradition of the department, bugler Luke Dowdell played “Taps.”
