First Responders Mark 25 Years Since 9/11 With Remembrance and Preparedness
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Communities across the San Francisco Peninsula are marking 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with memorial ceremonies, emergency-preparedness efforts and reflections from first responders who served at the World Trade Center site.
Harold Schapelhouman, the former Menlo Park Fire Protection District chief and a founding member of California Task Force 3, led a 70-person Urban Search and Rescue team deployed to New York after the attacks. The team arrived early Sept. 17, 2001, and initially prepared to support the New York City Fire Department if another attack occurred.
The team later joined the recovery effort at Ground Zero. Schapelhouman supervised an overnight shift as responders searched through the World Trade Center debris. Reflecting on the anniversary, he told Palo Alto Online that the message should be: “Never forget, be ready.”
California Task Force 3 is one of 28 federal Urban Search and Rescue teams coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Menlo Park-based team now includes members from 16 partner agencies, including firefighters, structural engineers and medical professionals.
The attacks also claimed victims with ties to the Bay Area. Portola Valley resident Andrew “Andy” Garcia was aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers. Naomi Leah Solomon, who was raised in Los Altos Hills and graduated from Stanford University, was working in the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
Eight members of the Santa Clara County Fire Department Honor Guard planned to travel to New York for memorial events surrounding the 25th anniversary, according to Capt. Jon Bui. The members were making the trip on their own time and at their own expense, with several bringing their families.
Bui said the events of 9/11 helped inspire him to become a firefighter. He also emphasized the lasting toll on first responders, including illnesses associated with exposure to toxic dust and debris after the towers collapsed.
Local commemorations include a remembrance ceremony at 8:45 a.m. Sept. 11 at San Mateo Fire Station 21. Palo Alto officials also issued a proclamation recognizing the courage of office workers, military personnel, residents and emergency responders who helped others during the attacks.
San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller has introduced a proposal for a regional firefighting training center, which is expected to be discussed at the county Board of Supervisors meeting Sept. 15. California Task Force 3 is also pursuing a memorial recognizing its response to both 9/11 and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Schapelhouman said the attacks showed why emergency agencies must prepare for situations that can overwhelm even the largest departments. His message 25 years later centers on honoring those lost while strengthening plans, training and partnerships before the next disaster.
Photo Credit: José Jiménez Tirado/Editorial Primera Hora
Source Reporting: B. Sakura Cannestra, Palo Alto Online
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