Melrose Fire and Police Observe 9/11 Anniversary
Written by Ellen Putnam
Photographed by Nancy Clover
This morning, members of the Melrose Fire Department, the Melrose Police Department, and city officials met in front of the Central Fire Station to observe the 24th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and honor the nearly 3,000 lives that were lost in the attack, including over 400 first responders.
Melrose lost one of our own in the attacks: 29-year-old Raymond Rocha, a Melrose High School graduate, was working for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Because the two flights that collided with the World Trade Center originated from Logan Airport, many people in our region have a personal connection to victims of the attacks.
The Melrose Fire Department recognized those first responders who were lost in the attack by “Striking the Four Fives” - a signal that the New York City Fire Department has traditionally used to announce the death of a firefighter.
From Nancy Clover: Dating back to the late 1800s, before radios existed, bell codes were used to transmit alarms and important messages between firehouses. The four fives became the ultimate mark of respect, tolling to honor a colleague lost in the line of duty.
Those assembled observed a moment of silence at 8:46am - when the first hijacked plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Members of the Melrose Fire Department read brief prayers.
Although the events of September 11th, 2001, may now be 24 years ago, they are still vivid in the minds of many of us who remember exactly where we were when we heard the news of the attacks. Despite the time that has passed since then, we still remember those who lost their lives that day, and honor those first responders who ran toward danger, knowing the risk they took, in the hope of saving just a few more people.
