LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas Fire & Rescue will be holding a remembrance ceremony on the morning of Monday, Sept. 11 in tribute to all those who lost their lives during the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.
The ceremony will be held at 6:45 a.m. in central Las Vegas, which is the approximate time that the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.
The ceremony will also feature the longtime tradition among firefighters known as the "Tolling of the Bells." The tradition is based on the use of fire alarm boxes by firefighters in the years before radio communications existed within the fire service. When a fire alarm was pulled, the signal would go out to all fire stations by wire and ring a bell within the stations.
When a firefighter was killed in the line of duty, fire dispatchers would ring the bell in sets of five, three times to inform all fire stations.
During the ceremony, the bell will ring in a similar fashion, the flag that once flew over the World Trade Center will be raised to half-staff in front of Fire Station Five. Additionally, a piece of steel from the World Trade Center will be on display.
The city of New York has requested that the flag be flown at half-staff over the steel piece every year, which has been done since the city of Las Vegas received the flag in 2004.
The ceremony will also feature a rendition of the national anthem from retired New York firefighter and singer, Frank Pizzaro.
Pizarro, who was assigned to FDNY Engine 76 and was off-duty when the first plane struck the World Trade Center. Pizzaro says he witnessed the incident on TV and immediately drove to his assigned station to see how he could help.
As they arrived, the first tower had already fallen, but he and the crew immediately began searching for victims in the rubble. The second tower would eventually collapse during their search, causing them to retreat into a parking garage.
Pizzaro would stay on the scene for several consecutive days.
As a current Las Vegas resident and singer, Pizzaro asked to be a part of the tribute by singing the national anthem.
The tribute can be watched live on the LVFR Facebook page.
