Fire Chief Carlos Aviles opened the City of St. Augustine’s Ceremony of Remembrance, a community gathering to remember those who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The program began at 8:30 a.m., Sept. 11 at the St. Augustine Fire Department station No. 1 on Malaga Street.
After presentation of colors, members of the fire department led the Pledge of Allegiance followed by an invocation by Fire Marshal Robert Growick. Firefighter Engineer Edward Purtill presented musical selections.
Attendees observed a moment of silence at 8:45 a.m., timed to coincide with the time the first plane hit the first tower of the World Trade Center in 2001.
Chief Aviles introduced guest speaker Division Director of State Fire Marshal’s office, Julius Halas, who recalled the events of Sept. 11, 2001 to honor the important day.
The Fire Department conducted the “Striking the Four 5s” by ringing its historic 1900 Fire Bell in four intervals of five rings each. This is a time-honored tradition signifying the last alarm of a firefighter performed in honor of the firefighters, law enforcement officers, military personnel and civilians who died on 9/11. FDNY member Daniel Ryan rang the bell.
