Dozens of people gathered in Winder last Friday to honor the nearly three thousand Americans killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Winder Fire Chief Ray Mattison said it is important that everyone remembers what took place that day.
“We can never forget the sacrifice,” he said. “If we forget it, it could happen again.”
Mattison said 9/11 is especially significant for public safety employees. The 343 firefighters and 62 police officers who died that day accounted for nearly 14 percent of those killed.
“Like I tell everyone, the sign says that we will never forget. I think sometimes that we’re still in shock from that day. I don’t know that we have accepted yet that 3,000 people died in 107 minutes,” Mattison said.
Mattison said the tragedy continues for many New York Fire Department employees due to the toxic chemicals they were exposed to in the aftermath of the attacks. Many firefighters suffered debilitating health problems and were forced into retirement due to their injuries.
“They’ve had a tough time with all this in a lot of different ways,” he said. “The ways this has impacted that department are far-reaching.”
The Winder Fire Department also continues to feel the impact from that day.
Mattison said that while his department was prepared in 2001 for a HazMat incident, a house fire or a bad accident, seeing what happened in New York was a wake-up call.
“We know it could happen here,” he said.
After eight years, the memories of September 11, 2001 have faded for some, but Mattison believes that is a normal way of coping with tragedy.
“I think we’ve gone on with our lives and I think we should,” Mattison said. “But somewhere in the back of our consciousness, we’ve got to remember that day. Hopefully we can be a part of that.”
