Local Firefighters, Students Mark 25 Years Since 9/11

Firefighters from Glendale Fire Department Station 24 spent part of their shift on Sept. 10 with a group of students who have known 9-11 only as history.

The station’s crew joined students, families, and staff from iQ Academy of California – Los Angeles (iQLA), a K-12 powered online public school, at its annual in-person Back-to-School gathering, an outdoor event at a local park held in part to remember the 25th anniversary of the attacks. 

This year marks a quarter century since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center killed about 3,000 people. This included about 441 emergency personnel, including police and port authority officers and firefighters, who died on the day of the attacks, marking the largest loss of rescue personnel in U.S. history.

This week, the firefighters mingled with students, shared why the anniversary matters, and spoke about the importance of remembering those who were lost and honoring the first responders and other heroes who risked their lives to help. Students thanked the Station 24 crew with handmade cards that recognized their inspiring work. The group also paused together for a moment of silence. 

The middle and high school students at the event, along with some of their teachers, had not yet been born in 2001, which made the remembrance especially meaningful. “It helped students turn a date in a textbook into a face-to-face conversation with first responders and gave them a sense of how much these crews do for their communities every day and in times of crisis,” the school said in a statement.

The annual Back-to-School gathering is one of several events the school hosts to provide an opportunity for its online students to spend a day together. With iQLA being a virtual school, moments like this one give students a way to meet their teachers, build friendships and feel part of a school community.

Families used the morning to learn about upcoming programs and meet staff in person, while students spent time with classmates they normally see only through video. The event gave iQLA’s students a shared experience that connected them to each other, their community, and a moment in history worth honoring.