Remember the Fallen

The Fire Service features strongly in our family. My father, mother, uncle and myself have all served in UK Fire Brigades from London to Liverpool.

When the tragedy on September 11 2001 unfolded on our TV screens all I could think about were my 'Brothers' who'd gone into the buildings doing what they were trained to do, to save life.

If you could ask any of those who'd died if they thought they were heroes they'd say "No, we were just doing our job".
To those who are left behind and understand the job we know that comment is correct but, and it is a very big BUT, these men are heroes.
A lot of them knew that they would die that day and still they went in and, as a Volunteer Firefighter myself, I say......Yes, you are all heroes and we, in the Service across the World, are very proud of you and what you tried to do that day.

This image is from one of a number of t-shirts I was sent, from the FDNY, in the first few months after the disaster.
I still wear them, even if they've started to get holes in them, and when I do I remember the 242 brave men of the FDNY who lost their lives that fateful day.