Sep 11

Sep 11 Remember 9/11 25 years later By Brian McQueen

Twenty-five years ago, I welcomed my students into school like I had done so many mornings before. None of us could have imagined that before that day was over, our nation—and our lives—would be forever changed. I had just sat down in the cafeteria to talk with some of the kids when my secretary came running in, “Brian, you need to come back to your office immediately and turn on the television.”

I walked into my office and stood there stunned. On the screen were FDNY firefighters, police officers and EMTs rushing toward danger while thousands of others were trying desperately to escape it. Then the second tower was hit.

At that moment, two parts of my life came together. I was a school principal responsible for 475 students and staff—and I was a Fire Chief.

My first thought was simple: Protect our children. Protect our staff.

I notified our teachers and staff about what was happening and reminded them that inside every classroom was something incredibly precious—our future.

Our school community was frightened. Some had relatives working in New York City. Parents called. Parents arrived to take their children home. Teachers comforted students while trying to understand something none of us could comprehend ourselves. What I remember most was the resiliency, compassion and love shown by our staff. I also received a call from our Mayor asking whether our firefighters were prepared if the events escalated. We were ready. Our volunteer firefighters stood prepared to do what they did every day—protect our residents and our community.

At school, we tried to maintain a sense of normalcy while increasing security. I walked those hallways more that day than I probably ever had before, checking classrooms, talking with staff and making sure our children were OK.

Meanwhile, we watched extraordinary acts of courage unfold. FDNY firefighters, EMTs, police officers and other first responders ran into unimaginable danger to save people who had simply gone to work that morning, never expecting they would be fighting for their lives. Then came the Pentagon.

A good friend of mine helped lead Washington, D.C. firefighters at the Pentagon, performing the same kind of heroic work we witnessed in New York.

Years later, I lost that great friend to cancer. Was his cancer connected to the toxic environment he encountered while answering the call that day? I will never know. What I do know is that he did what firefighters and first responders have always done. When others were running from danger, he went toward it to save lives.

Twenty-five years later, we also know that September 11 did not end when the fires were extinguished. Thousands of responders, recovery workers and survivors have lived with illnesses connected to their exposures at the World Trade Center, and we continue to lose members of our 9/11 family.

So, as we mark the 25th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, I hope we remember more than the horror of that morning. We remember a nation that came together. We remember strangers helping strangers. We remember firefighters standing shoulder to shoulder. We remember churches filled with people seeking hope. We remember ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things. And we remember that even during one of our nation’s darkest hours, faith, compassion, courage and love were stronger than hatred.

Twenty-five years have passed, but the lessons of that day should never pass with them. Hug your loved ones a little tighter. Thank the people who serve your community. Reach out to someone who needs a hand. Be appreciative of the people who walk this journey beside you. And never forget those who walked into danger on September 11, 2001, so that others might live.

Brian McQueen is a former Superintendent of Whitesboro School District, a former Fire Chief at the Whitesboro Fire Department, and Board member of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) and Board member of Believe 271, a nonprofit organization that provides “financial assistance to volunteer firefighters, EMT's and members of ladies auxiliaries in Oneida and Herkimer Counties who suffer from a life-threatening illness, such as cancer.”