Firehouse preserves memories of 9/11 fallen
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New York City firefighters from Engine 22/Ladder 13/Battalion 10, stationed on East 85th Street, are honoring the nine colleagues they lost in the September 11, 2001 attacks by preserving historic firehouse riding lists.
Twenty-five years after the attacks, the firefighters returned to their original firehouse and reflected on the enduring bond they share and the importance of remembering those who did not survive.
These riding lists, chalkboard displays of who is on duty, continued to list the names of the fallen firefighters for days after the towers collapsed. Concerned the chalk names would fade, the firefighters sought help from conservators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum staff carefully repaired and preserved the boards behind temperature-controlled glass, recognizing the importance of safeguarding this piece of history. Historian Harold Holzer noted the preservation work illustrated how civilizations endure by protecting their memories.
For the firefighters, these preserved lists are more valuable than ancient artifacts. Captain Douglas Mitchell explained the boards represent the lives and stories of the nine men who died responding to the attacks, including a longtime captain, a former police officer, and a father of twin babies.
Approximately 840 firefighters who worked on 9/11 are still on the job today, and they see preserving these memories as a duty to pass on to future generations, ensuring Sept. 11 is remembered every day, not just once a year.
