Watsonville Fire Battalion Chief Almita Schaefer tells students at Moreland Notre Dame School about the risks and rewards of being a firefighter Wednesday on the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
IN MEMORY Emergency first responders march up and down the wood stairs at Seacliff State Beach. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)
Students and staff at the campus each year have welcomed law and fire first responders to a remembrance ceremony in their courtyard.
TAKING STEPS Watsonville Fire and Central Fire teamed up early Wednesday to hoist a giant flag above Seacliff State Beach to set the tone for a remembrance ceremony there. First responders took turns walking up and down a lengthy flight of stairs 13 times to symbolically reenact the efforts made by emergency responders who charged up into the flaming World Trade Towers. (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)
Around 300 firefighters plus other emergency officials and thousands of citizens died during the attacks and another 7,000-plus have died since then from hazardous exposure in the recovery efforts.
