Crime & Safety

Apple Valley Fire Department to Hold Moment of Silence to Remember 9/11

The department will hold a moment of silence and bell ringing at each of its three stations at 9 a.m. Sunday, to remember the firefighters who died as a result of the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

The Apple Valley Fire Department on Sunday will hold a moment-of-silence event at each of its three fire stations—all open to the public—to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The moment of silence will happen at each station—fire station , and —at 9 a.m. Sunday. At 10 a.m. eastern standard time on Sept. 11, 2001, the first of the Twin Towers in New York fell, said Apple Valley Fire Chief Nealon Thompson at Tuesday's Apple Valley City Council meeting.

"It's something that we as firefighters feel the need to do," Thompson said Wednesday, talking about honoring the 343 New York City firefighters who died as a result of 9/11, as well as other emergency personnel who were involved in responding to the incidents.

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Apple Valley firefighters will be in uniform with fire equipment out in front of the stations, and will hold a moment of silence and ring a bell, Thompson said.

"Very solemn time," Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland said on Tuesday. "It seems impossible that it could be 10 years." 

Find out what's happening in Apple Valley-Rosemountwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Two Apple Valley firefighters who are now retired—Michael Hammerstad and Stew Shepard—both went to New York in October 2001 to help in the aftermath of 9/11, Thompson said Tuesday.

As a thank you, the New York City Fire Department sent a framed piece of steel from the Twin Towers to Apple Valley in 2003. After several years displayed at Fire Station No. 1, it will return to the for the month of September, Thompson said.

“Pretty powerful to actually have a piece of steel from the Twin Towers that fell that day,” Thompson said.


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