09/11/2026
9/11 Message from Chief Chris LaBelle
Today, we gather to remember those who lost their lives this day 25 years ago. We remember the nearly 3,000 people who went to work that morning, boarded airplanes, or simply went about their daily lives, never knowing that it would be their last day. We remember the passengers and crews aboard the four airplanes. We remember the people who worked in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
We remember the first responders. And we remember the many people who made the ultimate sacrifice trying to help others.
But I believe remembering them is only part of how we honor them. The best way we can honor those we lost is by how we choose to live our lives. We honor them by being good people. We honor them by treating others with kindness, even when we disagree. We honor them by showing compassion to someone who is struggling, helping our neighbors, standing up for those who need a hand, and being willing to put someone else's needs ahead of our own. And perhaps most importantly, we honor them by refusing to let the things that divide us become more important than the things that bring us together.
For those of us who serve as first responders, September 11 carries an especially powerful meaning. The courage displayed by firefighters, police officers, EMT’s, and citizens that day reminds us of what public service is truly about. We have the privilege of serving our communities. It is a responsibility we should never take for granted. Every time we put on a uniform, respond to a call, help a stranger, or simply show compassion to someone having a difficult day, we have an opportunity to honor the example set by those who gave everything on September 11.
Twenty-five years later, we cannot bring those people back. We cannot change what happened that day. But we can decide what their sacrifice means to us.
We can remember them. We can tell their stories. And we can live our lives in a way that makes their sacrifice meaningful.
So today, as we remember those we lost, my hope is that we don't simply remember them for one day each year. Instead, let their memory challenge us to be better people every day—to be more compassionate, more courageous, more humble, and more willing to help one another. That is how we honor them.
Not just by remembering how they died, but by remembering how they lived—
and by choosing to live our own lives with the same spirit of service, courage, and humanity.
May we always remember.
