9-11 Remembrance Held at Brighton Area Fire Dept. Main Station

9/12/14 - large crowd was on hand Thursday evening for the annual remembrance of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, which killed nearly 3,000 people and signaled a new age of vigilance by Americans against terrorism. The annual ceremony was renewed in front of the main Brighton Area Fire Dept. station on Grand River Avenue. That’s the site where a memorial to the 9-11 attacks stands, a site which contains a large piece of steel from one of the two World Trade Center skyscrapers which were destroyed when two hijacked airliners rammed into the buildings on that fateful day. Fire Chief Michael O’Brien told those assembled that the event is held every year to ensure that we never forget. Area fire dept. officials also presented remarks at the ceremony. The memorial event included the presentation of the colors, the music of bagpipers, patriotic songs, and the laying of a commemorative wreath. There was also a ceremonial ringing of the fire bell, a tradition of the New York Fire Dept. dating back to 1870 to honor a fallen firefighter. Earlier in the day Chief O’Brien and other area fire officials were in Lansing as the state legislature suspended its normal business for the day to honor public safety personnel from around Michigan and firefighters from Michigan who gave their lives on 9-11. The local fire officials were hosted by State Reps. Bill Rogers and Cindy Denby. (TT)