Annual September 11 Ceremony of Remembrance

Each year, the City of St. Augustine holds an annual Ceremony of Remembrance in honor of those who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The public is invited and encouraged to participate in the community ceremony.

St. Augustine Fire Chief Carlos Aviles invites anyone who was personally involved or impacted by the events of September 11 to bring their memorabilia to the fire station to share – personal photos, mementos, or artifacts. These personal items will be placed on display prior to the ceremony to be viewed by guests.

The 15-minute program includes:
*  Presentation of the colors by a joint color guard comprised of the St. Augustine Police Department and St. Johns County Fire Rescue
*  Invocation by Prevention Chief and Fire Marshal, Bob Growick
*  Musical presentations by St. Augustine Firefighter Engineer, Ed Purtill
*  Remarks by Director of the State Fire Marshal, Julius Halas, and St. Augustine Fire Chief Carlos Aviles

The event is a little different each year. However, it always concludes with a moment of silence at 8:45 am. This moment of silence coincides with the time the first plane hit the first tower of the World Trade Center. Lastly, the Fire Department conducts the “Striking the Four 5’s”, with a ring of their historic Fire Bell in four intervals of five rings. This time-honored tradition signifies the last alarm of a firefighter. It honors the firefighters, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and civilians who died on September 11, 2001.

For more information about this event, call the St. Augustine Fire Department at (904) 825-1098.