Twelves years ago, the world as we know it changed in an instant, when terrorists hijacked four airplanes with the intention of bringing deaths to thousands of innocent Americans.

On that sunny Tuesday morning, two airplanes struck the Twin Towers, located in the World Trade Center in New York City. This set off a massive response of first responders from the NYPD, NYC EMS and the FDNY.

At first, Croton FD members reported to our temporary EMS quarters on Brook Street to standby, being several agencies south of us were moving up to the Bronx and Manhattan. A short time later, a request was made for our Rescue 18 to report to the Westchester County Fire Training Center for assignment, as the South Tower had collapsed. Soon after, the North Tower would follow.

After reporting to the WCFTC in Valhalla, R18, along with several other units from Westchester, deployed to locations in the Bronx and Yonkers for further assignment. Rescue 18 then took a post at the quarters of FDNY E81/TL46 in the Bronx. Hours later, another crew of CFD volunteers with Engine 118 arrived to await assignment with us. After a few hours, a request was made around 7:00 PM for us to move up to a station in Harlem with Rescue 18, that of E35/L14.

While posted here, we constantly monitored the radio and television for updates. The toughest part of that evening was the return of TL14 - their rig damaged, their men exhausted, and some unaccounted for.

Rescue 18 came home many hours later to find dozens of our brother and sister members sleeping at Washington Engine. These members - over 50 of them - showed up ready to respond to any request. Our apparatus had crews on the ready for several days.

The following day, Engine 118 first staged at Yonkers Raceway (now Empire City) then took a crew to the quarters of Engine 89 and Ladder 50 in the Bronx. Here, the men responded with other departments from Westchester and the FDNY to several incidents. These men took a ride to the collapse site the following day to offer their assistance before coming home.

In the days, weeks and months that followed, many of our members put on our uniforms, attending several Wakes and Funerals for those killed in the Line of Duty. Of these fallen included a friend and former member of the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department, NYPD ESU Officer Stephen Driscoll. Officer Driscoll formerly served as a member of Harmon Engine Company No. 3 prior to moving out of the area.

Every year at our annual Inspection, which is held near the 11th of September, we remember those lost - especially PO Driscoll.

The Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department will never forget those killed innocently on that horrific day. The efforts of those that helped rescue so many people is nothing short of a miracle, and we will always honor these men that put the lives of so many others before themselves.

May we never forget those lost, may we always remember those fighting for our freedom and may we never experience another attack of this magnitude.

Special thanks to Ex-Captain Jim Ferguson with his help on this article.