New Bedford Fire Department Remembers 9/11

NEW BEDFORD-  In memory of the 9/11 terror attacks, the New Bedford Fire Department held a memorial exercise at all stations across the city on Monday.

The exercise called for all available personnel to assemble in front of their respective stations at 9:50 a.m. This was then followed by a moment of silence at 10:00 a.m., signaling the beginning of the memorial service.

At 10:05 a.m., the exact time the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on 9/11, the Fire Department’s signal room made an announcement of the collapse on the department radio channel.

The solemn announcement said “10:05 South Tower collapse, World Trade Center, September 11, 2001," as fire personnel remained at complete silence.

A total of 2,977 people were killed during the terror attack that shocked the nation and the world sixteen years ago. Included in that total were hundreds of first responders who perished in their effort to save as many lives as possible.

New Bedford Fire Chief Michael Gomes responded with five of his men on the day of the attacks. The New Bedford crew arrived at Manhattan’s Ground Zero after both towers were resorted to a pile of rubble. He says that events like these help remind the public of the importance of first responders, as well as the American Fire Service members and other first responders killed in the attack.

"The American Fire Service where 343 members that were killed on 9/11,” Gomes said. “I don't know if a lot of the public is aware that five members of New Bedford Fire Department actually responded on 9/11 too and worked on the pile on the day of."

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro, and other elected officials joined Gomes and the Fire Department.  The call for fire personnel to return to work signaled the end of the memorial at 10:10 a.m.