Video: Fire Chiefs Remember 9/11

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — 13 years later, almost anyone above the age of 20 can remember where they were on September 11th, 2001. But for no one is it more clear than the firefighters and emergency responders who were there in those first hours and days. In the years since, some are finding peace in returning to the site.

“It was one of the most beautiful fall days I’ve ever seen, ” said former Fire Chief of the Mendham Borough Fire Department, John Smith..

Smith remembers the morning of 9-11 just as any other ordinary day… Until he heard breaking news on the radio.

“As everyone, we were just struck. But as fire chief, I knew I had to go to the fire department because we were part of the New Jersey Emergency Management Organization. As close to New York as we were, I realized we would probably get a call to do something, ” said Smith.

Less than 40 miles from ground zero, that call for assistance came in soon for the department to set up at the staging area.

Prepared to assist in triage, Smith and his crew waited for the barge, carrying victims, to arrive.

“When the barge arrived, there weren’t any live people on it. They were all dead. Two days later, they asked us to bring our rescue and our ambulance to the city, ” said Smith.

For the weeks and months to follow, Smith’s firemen ran calls from nearby hospitals and rescue units.

Smith now lives in Clay County. Thursday, he shared his experiences in a talk to the West Point Rotary Club. None was more touching than his recent visit to Ground Zero…his first in almost 13 years. He says visiting the memorial is uplifting for such a devastating event.

“If you get to New York, you have to go to that memorial. It is one of the best done museums and memorials,” said Smith.

Oktibbeha County Fire Services Coordinator has spent many years volunteering and visiting New York fire departments.

Soon after the attack, he returned to help his fellow brothers out.

“A very somber atmosphere. Although the spirit of the fire department never wavered, ” said Kirk Rosenhan.

Rosenhan lost at least 10 friends on that tragic day.

“Its been a very emotional experience, even to this day because 13 years later, a lot of guys have retired. We’ve had a lot of people develop some cancer that we think is a result of working on the pile or in rescue efforts. But the tradition, the remembrance and the respect abounds, ” said Rosenhan.

Rosenhan is planning to return to New York City for a visit in just a few short months.