St. Augustine Marks 25 Years Since 9/11 With Plaza Ceremony Friday

St. Augustine's Fire Department will hold its 25th annual Ceremony of Remembrance on Friday, Sept. 11, from 8:30 to 9 a.m. at the Plaza de la Constitución, marking a quarter century since the September 11 attacks with a gathering that has gone on every year since the city's first tribute in 2001.

The ceremony sits at the heart of downtown, steps from the Bridge of Lions and the historic district that draws tourists year-round. For this one half hour, the plaza belongs to residents, first responders and anyone who wants a quiet place to remember.

A multi-agency honor guard will present the colors. Retired New York City fire captain Chris Garaizar will give an invocation and personal remarks. At 8:45 a.m., the exact moment American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 2001, the crowd will observe a moment of silence.

The Fire Department will then perform what it calls the Striking of the Four 5's, ringing the department's historic 1900 Fire Bell in four sets of five rings. The tradition signals a firefighter's last alarm and is meant to honor the firefighters, police officers, military personnel and civilians who died that day. Pipes and drums will close the program with "Amazing Grace."

Fire Chief Carlos Aviles said the department has kept the ceremony deliberately simple since that first year. He said it "provides our community with a place to gather and reflect," and called it a promise that no one remembering 9/11 will stand alone.

The ceremony has run without interruption for 25 years, a stretch long enough that many attending this year were not yet born when the towers fell. Organizers say that is part of the reason the ringing of the bell and the moment of silence stay unchanged from year to year: a fixed, physical way to mark a date that otherwise risks fading into history for younger residents.

Anyone unable to make it downtown can watch the ceremony streamed live on the City of St. Augustine Fire Department's Facebook page. Questions about parking, access or the program can go to the Fire Department at 904-825-1098.

Find more community coverage and upcoming events on the St. Augustine Community Website, and share your own memories of past ceremonies or this year's tribute in our Community Forum. For more on downtown gatherings and local milestones, check out our community stories and events coverage.

Header photo: Ebyabe / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)