HOUSTON – Communities across the nation are pausing to mark 25 years since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, honoring the thousands of lives lost and the incredible bravery of first responders.
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Here in Houston, the Houston Fire Department held a department-wide remembrance, culminating in a central ceremony at Fire Station 8 on Louisiana Street to honor the fallen and local firefighters who answered the call at Ground Zero.
A Moment of Silence Across the City
Across the city, fire stations paused in unison as citywide dispatch broadcasts marked the collapse of the World Trade Center towers at 8:59 a.m. and 9:28 a.m. At Station 8, those radio transmissions were accompanied by ceremonial bell tolls and a static flag display.
For Houston Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz, the day serves as a stark reminder of the global brotherhood of first responders and the sacrifices made both on that day and in the months that followed.
“Once a firefighter, no matter what city or what town, what country—you’re always that,” Chief Muñoz said. “And we did send some people to support those firefighters out there, but [it] just reminds us as firefighters for who we are, what we do.”
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Honoring Houston’s Fallen at Ground Zero
Local perspective:
Among those honored was HFD Captain Anthony ‘Tony’ Tortorice, who died in 2011 from cancer linked to toxic exposure during his recovery work at Ground Zero.
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Overall, 10 members of the Houston Fire Department were deployed to New York as part of Texas Task Force 1 following the attacks. Today, only two of those original ten members remain active with HFD, including Captain Jason Wilson.
Veteran Firefighter Recalls Ground Zero
What they’re saying:
Reflecting on his deployment 25 years later, Captain Wilson recalled the overwhelming emotion of arriving in New York City during the immediate aftermath.
“I don’t think we really understood the magnitude of what had happened at that time,” Wilson said. “It didn’t sink in. There was just that adrenaline rush—I didn’t see until maybe later on that day.”
“I think what really set in for me was the fact that there were families standing along the route holding pictures. ‘Please find my mother, please find my brother or my father.’ And that really started to sink in—that these people were tirelessly standing out there asking us to find them.”
In recognition of his service at Ground Zero, Captain Wilson was honored by the department and awarded the Medal of Valor during an awards ceremony last week.
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