Commissioners Call Upon All Residents to Honor 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Franklin County Commissioners are encouraging all residents to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance approved unanimously by the United States Senate.

The Moment of Remembrance will occur on Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 1 p.m. and calls upon local first responders, police and fire departments in cities and townships throughout our county, to sound their sirens and ring their bells for one minute to remind residents to stop and remember the lives lost and those changed forever.

“As we reflect upon the lives we lost that day and those changed forever, let us also honor the brave men and women who rushed to Ground Zero, D.C. and Pennsylvania to help in the recovery efforts,” said Commissioner Marilyn Brown. “Let‟s join together to send a strong and clear message that America is resilient and united.”

“No American will ever forget the cowardly attacks of September 11, 2001,” said Commissioner Paula Brooks. “From that tragedy, America has re-discovered her resilience, far reaching capabilities and scores of heroes, many of them walking among us in our everyday lives. We must remain vigilant in our efforts to seek out threats to our national security and improve preparedness coordination efforts among federal, state and local jurisdictions as well as our partners in the private sector.

Central Ohioans - firefighters, doctors, and police officers known as „Ohio‟s Task Force One‟ - responded without hesitation to those in need following the attacks.

“We were grateful for the chance to assist our country during this horrific incident,” said Ohio Task Force One member Dan Kochensparger, who was among the contingent that deployed to Ground Zero. “To this day we remain in awe of the amazing courage of our colleagues in New York, who rushed into those buildings knowing they might not survive.”

“As we mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that changed our Nation forever, we would like to encourage families and residents throughout Franklin County to pause when they hear the police and fire sirens at 1 p.m. on September 11th and commemorate that fateful day,” said John O‟Grady. “We must move forward as a united and stronger Nation but we must never forget.”