MIAMI (WSVN) - Officials across South Florida held special tributes to remember the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Out of the nearly 3,000 people killed during the attacks, the first responder community lost over 400 of their members. On Friday, ceremonies were held to remember the lives lost of those who raced toward the burning building and subsequent targeted locations.
In Miami, city leaders and first responders came together to honor their fellow brother and sisters in blue who were killed in action and to pay their respects.
“Today and always, we affirm our vow to never forget,” said an official.
Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins was in attendance and spoke about the importance of this day to her.
“It’s hard for me to even talk about September 11, and when people ask me that question, my eyes fill with tears,” she said.
Higgins also shared her story of encountering an officer who ran toward the World Trade Center that day as she was living in New York City at the time.
“I think about her every time I see a City of Miami Police officer or fire rescue personnel,” she said.
The Miami Police Department flew over the U.S. flag, held up by two Miami Fire Rescue trucks.
Across the street from City Hall, also on Friday morning, 44 cadets graduated from fire college.
They officially become City of Miami firefighters after six months of training and showcasing their skills, knowledge and talents. They have learned and are now ready to protect.
Having graduated on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 is no coincidence, but a significant reminder for the cadets and what their service means. It poses the question: What is this job actually going to ask of me?
“These young men and women didn’t even know that this happened, so it’s up to us to educate them,” said Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez. “It’s up to us to continue the spirit and keep it alive, so we want to continue to remember and just give homage, and it’s a privilege to be able to honor them.”
Miami Police officers also climbed 110 flights of stairs at loanDepot Park in honor of the first responders and every life lost on that tragic day.
“Four-hundred and forty-one first responders died 25 years ago. The least we can do is pay tribute to them,” said Miami Police Chief Edwin Lopez.
There were other events held across South Florida on Friday, with Miami-Dade County first responders holding a remembrance ceremony in Tropical Park.
“For those of us who remember what that morning was like, the world we knew was ending before our very eyes,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
For Roberto Jesus Suarez Jr., a former first responder, this anniversary hits close to home for him.
“I was there for 10 days on top of the pile [at ground zero], but once you’re working, you’re involved and you don’t have time really to think of what happened. You’re there for a reason,” he said.
In Miami Beach, the city’s fire rescue crews and police officers gathered at a ceremony to reflect on the lives lost with a moment of silence.
“As we honor the sacrifices and every gallant effort, every heroic action,” said Miami Beach Fire Rescue Chaplain Erica Sommer.
North of the county line, the Broward County Aviation Department hosted the FLL Never Forget Ceremony at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
“Twenty-five years later, we gather not only to remember what happened, but to remember who we were in those moments and what those moments continue to ask of us today,” said Daniel Alonso, Director of Field Operations for the Miami and Tampa Field Office.
Across South Florida, all of these events served as tributes to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and it is a reminder that the fallen will never be forgotten.
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