First In, Last Out

“First In, Last Out.”  What exactly does that mean? Several weeks ago marked the 15th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. And it brought to mind so many memories and thoughts about our first responders and I wanted to share a few thoughts.            

On 09/11/2001, it meant that law enforcement officers, paramedics and firefighters were the first responders to arrive at a horrible tragedy in lower Manhattan. Many of them never left.

As usual, I was driving to work when the first news came over the car radio. It quickly became clear this would not be a routine day. The reports were sketchy, “A plane had crashed into the twin towers in New York…”  By the time I reached Sulphur Springs, the reports were more definite. The psychology class I taught at Paris Junior College began to fill up with anxious students in shock and denial. As they straggled to their seats, there were far more questions than I had answers. These young people felt horrified that our country had been attacked in such a heinous manner. All were filled with compassion for the injured and their families. There was a sense of resolve that our armed forces and first responders would rise to the challenge.

It must have begun as a typical day in New York, as well. Businesses opened, families kissed loved ones off to work, and hundreds of first responders left home…as usual.  Over three hundred of New York’s finest answered their last call that morning, hundreds more were injured, and countless first responders and their survivors continue to carry the scars of that tragic day.

To read the full article, subscribe to the Canton Herald or pick up a copy from one of our vendors.