Fort Hall Fire Dept. honors 9/11 tragedy
Fort Hall Fire Department raises the American flag off a ladder truck.
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — An American flag waved high above the Fort Hall Fire Department on Friday, honoring the 9/11 tragedy.
Jayson Gates, Captain of C-shift, explained the flag hangs from a ladder truck, which came to them from East Greenbush Fire District in upstate New York. It wasn’t on the first alarm for 9/11, but it did make mutual aid at Ground Zero.
Before COVID-19 they normally send the truck to Idaho Falls where they do a commemorative run/walk. Usually a couple FDNY firefighters come from New York to kick off the ceremony.
Gates said, “Today’s a big thing for the fire service, on that fateful day 19 years ago we lost not only 343 FDNY firefighters, but we lost police officers, people in the Trade Centers that were just working doing their regular job. We continue to lose people due to cancers and everything from them digging everyone out.”
FHFD honoring 9/11.
Gates hopes people remember this day, more than just for the Fire Department, but for all the people that lost their loved ones.
He recalls where he was when 9/11 occurred and wasn’t even in the fire service yet. He started six months after the event occurred. He was 19 years old and it was his first-time working for a health care company when he woke up and saw it on the news.
Being a firefighter has been a great career for Gates and he hopes to keep going.
Alan Guymon, Captain of B-shift, remembers when 9/11 happened he was working for another fire department and was just coming on duty, when he came through the door he saw the other crew glued to the TV. For rest of the day they watched the event unfold.
Guymon’s father and brother were both firefighters, so this day means a lot to them as a firefighting family. It’s a day they remember those who lost their lives.
