This Sept. 11 marks the 23rd anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack in human history. Not including the 19 hijackers who committed murder-suicide, 2,977 victims died on 9/11 in 2001.
On that horrific and unforgettable day, hundreds of firefighters rushed headlong towards the devastation at the World Trade Center. The televised images of firefighters courageously sprinting into the fiery flames and billowing smoke left viewers dumbstruck. The collapse of the South tower at 9:59 a.m. EST left them devastated. The North tower’s collapse at 10:28 a.m. and the scene of total chaos that followed is forever burned into the memories of millions who watched speechless, including firemen from all over America.
Remembering Their Heroes
Every firefighter remembers where they were and what they were doing on that infamous day. Author Jim Serger has captured those recollections in his new book, “9:11 A Time to Always Remember: Bond of Firefighters.” This latest effort is his second book on the 9/11 theme. His first, “9:11 A Time to Always Remember,” was published in 2022, and included profiles and comments from 90 regular Americans on their recollections of that day.
When asked what inspired him to write his latest book honoring firefighters, Serger’s response was simple. “I still see the time 9:11 over and over. One day when speaking with a firefighter I glanced down at my watch, and there it was: 9:11. That’s when the light bulb came on,” he said.
His current book includes 62 profiles of firemen, firemen/EMTs and firemen/paramedics across America who recall their whereabouts and what they were doing when they learned the devastating news. Each profile provides an insider’s look at what that professional firefighter was thinking and feeling at the time.
One lieutenant firefighter-paramedic from Ohio named Jason recalled, “On that day, back in 2001, I lost two dear friends in the aftermath of the Towers collapsing. You see, a few years back, a handful of firefighters and I in my community took the test to become members of the FDNY—only two of us were admitted. Sadly, those two brothers were among those that perished.”
An Unbreakable Bond
The central theme of the book is the indestructible bond between firefighters. It’s an emotion that the author says binds them together as a family for life. “Prior to 9/11, firefighters were bound together by love of family and community,” the author shared via email. “On 9/11, and after, their love of each other, the love for their community, state and country was solidified and forever strengthened by that tragic day.”Serger says collecting the profiles he included snowballed as he discussed the book’s concept with firefighters he met. “I spoke with a firefighter in my community about the concept of the book, then they said you need to contact this girl, then that girl led to call this guy, then that led to FDNY which then led to five more, then five more snowballed from there,” he said.
Designed as a coffee-table book, the individual profiles and memories of current or retired firefighting personnel appear on the left-hand page. Black-and-white images of analog or digital clocks displaying the time 9:11 appear on the right-hand pages. The center of the book displays several pictures honoring the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Nearly a quarter-century after that tragic day, many department firetrucks have the number “343” painted on their trucks commemorating their fallen brethren.
Ray is a retired lieutenant FDNY firefighter who shares that he kept a diary of his emotions and thoughts for a full year while attending countless funerals for numerous friends and colleagues. Perhaps, he said it best: “I spent 39 years in the department, and the day is coming where not one FDNY firefighter will be working with a 9/11 history. The story is about those who gave so much—and the story of brotherhood among firefighters and their level of sacrifice for those they don’t know.”
