News Channel 3-12
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – First responders, elected officials and community members all gathered at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Gardens for the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
Below is a press release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office on the event:
The remembrance ceremony brought together the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara City Fire Department and other local public safety partners to honor the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives, including the first responders who answered the call that morning.
The ceremony included a joint first responder Color Guard, the National Anthem performed by Sheriff’s Custody Deputy Jasmin Cruz, an invocation by Chaplain Jerry Gray, and remarks from Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown, Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Chris Mailes and Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Garrett Huff.
Sheriff Brown reflected on the sacrifice of first responders and shared the story of Rick Rescorla, whose preparation and leadership helped thousands of people evacuate the World Trade Center’s South Tower.
“The September 11 attacks were unquestionably examples of the worst in human nature, but they also brought out the very best in humankind,” Brown said. “Heroism, compassion, and devotion to duty of the highest order — displayed by police officers, firefighters, rescue workers, emergency medical personnel, security professionals and average citizens alike.”
Chief Mailes reflected on the resilience of the FDNY and the lasting changes September 11 brought to the fire service, including advancements in training, equipment, communications and firefighter health and safety.
“The best way we can honor those who sacrificed all is not just through our tears, but through our actions,” Mailes said. “We honor them by living with the same spirit of service that they carried up those stairs.”
Chief Huff focused his remarks on the 343 FDNY firefighters who were killed on September 11 and the first responders and recovery workers who have suffered illnesses and died in the years since. He also reflected on September 12 and the unity that emerged across the country in the days following the attacks.
“Twenty-five years later, I believe that lesson is worth remembering too,” Huff said. “We remember those who rushed toward danger when everyone else was trying to escape. We remember those who became sick or lost their lives in the years that followed. And we remember the families who have carried their loss for the last quarter century.”
Santa Barbara County Fire Captain Howard Orr offered a firsthand perspective on the aftermath of September 11, recalling his deployment to Ground Zero with his search canine, Duke. Orr, a FEMA-certified canine disaster search specialist at the time, deployed with Duke, a chocolate Labrador retriever, to New York in the days following the attacks. Together, they joined search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center.
The ceremony concluded with several traditions honoring those who died, including the fire service’s Last Alarm and ringing of the bell, followed by a 21-gun salute and other ceremonial honors. The Last Alarm symbolizes the completion of a firefighter’s duties and final return home, while the salute served as a formal expression of respect for the victims and first responders whose sacrifice continues to be remembered.
Twenty-five years later, today’s ceremony provided an opportunity to remember those who were lost, honor those who responded and recognize the responsibility shared by a new generation of first responders to carry their legacy forward.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
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