A community reflects

The American, Indiana and Firefighter's flags, hanging at half-mast, twitched in the slight breeze as the group assembled in front of them traveled back in time to Sept. 11, 2001.\nSaturday marked the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon when thousands of Americans lost their lives. \nThe Bloomington Township Fire and Volunteer Fire Departments chose to commemorate that day by remembering not only victims of the attacks, but also those who tried to save them.\n"(Lord,) be with us as we remember those who sacrificed their lives," BTFD Chaplain James Dawson said in a prayer to the small crowd. "Be with the firefighters, police and EMTs who are sacrificing all the time to keep us safe."\nBTFD President Scott Fleck looked out at the audience before him; from the over 40 members of the 377 Military Police Company Army Reservists standing at attention, to the children of fellow firefighters squirming in their seats. He told a story of a friend who has an American flag with the names of all of the fallen firefighters from Sept. 11, 2001, on it hanging in her place of business.\n"She said someone said to her, 'I couldn't hang such a thing on my wall. It would make me too sad to look at it,'" Fleck said. "I don't look at those names with sadness. I look it as strength."\nEven though it has only been three years since the attacks, Fleck said people already are starting to forget.\n"We are remembering," he said to the crowd. "We won't forget."\nBTFD Trustee Nancy Brinegar said the department is prepared to protect. Since the attacks, the department has assembled a Hazardous Materials team and recently received a new Haz Mat truck paid for by federal funds.\n"We will be strong, and we will be ready," she said.\nThe audience stood as Fleck read the names of all the BTFD men who have ever died while on duty. Fleck also remembered the 77 firefighters who have died this year across the country, the victims of the terrorist attacks, and 343 New York City firefighters who died on 9-11 during the attacks. A single bell toll followed the reading of each group.\n"I can't hear that bell without feeling it," Dawson said, his voice catching. "It's Pavlovian. It does get you right here," he said, tapping his chest over his heart.\nAfter the ceremony, Dawson said the BTFD remembered its fallen firemen even before Sept. 11, 2001, but since the attacks, both 9-11 and the department's fallen men are remembered in one ceremony.\n"We're walking wounded," he said. "When you have a fireman hurt, everyone is hurt. You have to put it out of your mind and keep on going, but when you close your eyes you see every one of them. This is to help us deal with that."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.