The Fire Choir sings "Danny Boy" to end the ceremory

On the morning September 11, 2011, the men and women of Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) joined Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Portland Mayor Sam Adams, members of Portland City Council, and Portland Police Bureau for a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at PF&R Fire Station 21.

Left to Right: Fire Chief John Klum, Fire Commissioner Randy Leonard

The ceremony included speakers, singers, a moment of silence at 10:00 am, a firefighter testimonial about helping in New York after 9/11, a bell ceremony, the reading of 343 firefighter and 72 police names, and a water display by the Fireboat David Campbell.

Left to Right: Senator Ron Wyden, Retired Portland Firefighter Wes Loucks

A steel artifact from the World Trade Center, released by the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, was the center piece of the memorial.  

Senator Wyden noted that it was important to start the day with a ceremony that remembered those first responders to the twin towers and the Pentagon.  Retired Portland Firefighter Wes Loucks offered a moving speech, recapping his experience of traveling with four other Portland firefighters to New York City to help in the search efforts at Ground Zero. He said that firefighters referred to the area as "the pile", because they felt that "Ground Zero" had a negative connotation. Loucks was visibly moved after speaking of a New York firefighter and friend, who died earlier this year, due to exposure from dust and debris at the site of the towers.

Portland Fire & Rescue's Honor Guard

Portland Fire & Rescue offers our sincere appreciation to everyone who helped make this event a success including the citizens, city, state, and government leaders, police officers, ambulance personnel, and local firefighters. We appreciated the real experiences that our speakers shared. 

Portland Fire & Rescue Chiefs & Senator Ron Wyden

The photos are courtesy of Portland Fire & Rescue Photographers Dick Harris and Greg Muir. Additional photos will be added to PF&R’s Facebook page.  

   Portland Fire & Rescue 

   We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

   September 14, 2011

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