It has been 25 years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, claimed 2,977 innocent lives and changed the world forever.
That day, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two planes struck the Twin Towers in New York City, leading to their collapse. A third plane hit the U.S. military headquarters outside Washington, D.C., and a fourth plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back against the hijackers.
During those events, among the total deaths, would be 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, 55 military personnel, and eight paramedics and EMTs who responded to the devastation and chaos.
Levelland Fire Chief Brian Horton was starting a routine morning at the Athens Fire Department, where he then worked, preparing for the day.
Horton said he walked past his chief's office and saw a New York City tower on television engulfed in smoke, unaware that it was the Twin Towers. Within minutes, a second plane struck the World Trade Center, turning the day into something firefighters and first responders across the country would never forget.
“I remember very clearly exactly where I was,” said Horton. “It was about 8 a.m. for us and we were doing our daily routines and checks of the equipment, apparatus and stuff and when I walked by my chief's office, I saw on the TV and saw this tower about three quarters of the way up with just smoke.”
Horton said when he and his fellow fire firefighters department first saw the news, they had no idea of just how serious the situation was.
“I told my chief that it was going to be a long day for somebody.” Horton said. “I didn’t realize it was New York or the Twin Towers. I had never even heard of the Twin Towers up until Sept. 11.”
Horton said his department was talking about the first plane hitting the North Tower, when the second plane hit. From that moment on, it wasn't a typical day.
“Our normal day wasn’t to sit around and watch the TV all day, but for the next few days that’s exactly what we did.” said Horton. “We knew instantly what was going to happen on the fire-side of things. We knew that there was going to be a lot of firefighters involved.”
Horton says that many of the younger generation weren’t alive or too young to remember that day and may never see the United States as unified as a country as it was at that moment.
“I don’t know that schools are teaching 9/11 the same way we were taught Pearl Harbor and DDay,” said Horton. “I don’t want anybody to go through what they did and it is unfortunate that something like that has to happen for them to see it.”
Horton highlights the aftermath 9/11 had and how emergency response has changed since the attacks such as radio communications, emergency response procedures, firefighter deployment, and coordination among emergency responders and agencies.
“Just because we've always done it that way, it doesn't mean it's right,” said Horton. “We learned a lot and we’ve gotten better.”
Now 25 years after the horrific events of that fateful day, it is more than a memory for first responders. For Horton, the day serves as a reminder of the many firefighters who gave their lives and never made it home, the lessons learned from their sacrifice and the responsibility to continue to move forward without forgetting.
While the events and memories of 9/11 may have faded with time, the lessons learned continue to shape the way firefighters and first responders react, communicate and serve their communities.
Today, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum honors every person killed in New York, the Pentagon and Shanksville. Across the country, people gather each year to read the victim’s names aloud, observe moments of silence and perform acts of service. Generations will continue to learn the history and honor the courage of those lost and the brave first responders who stepped forward and gave their all.