SALEM, Va. – In Salem, Wednesday first responders took time to remember the brave men and women who lost their lives in the September 11th attacks.
It took them over 30 minutes to read off all the names of the 343 firefighters and 71 police officers who died that die.
Organizers say it helps put into perspective just how many first responders lost their lives.
“For every name, there’s a family behind it. And then we think about the fire department and the police department, that’s 343 funerals, 71 funerals on the law enforcement side, just what it took and the toll it took on those departments,” John Prillaman, Salem Fire Department Fire Chief, said.
The ceremony was held in front of the department’s headquarters because they have two beams from the World Trade Center’s North Tower, which serve as a permanent memorial to 9/11.