09/11/2026
25 years later. And we never forget.
Never forget the people who ran toward those who needed help. Never forget the firefighters who climbed those stairs, knowing the danger ahead. Never forget the police officers, EMS personnel and ordinary citizens who helped strangers simply because they were fellow human beings.
From the 343 firefighters lost on Sept. 11, 2001, to those lost from World Trade Center-related health issues, we remember their sacrifice. Today, we come together with fire and police from around the western metro to honor those fallen first responders.
In the words of former Minnetonka Fire Chief John Vance:
Maybe "Never Forget" should mean more than remembering what happened. Maybe it should mean remembering "who we are capable of being for one another." Twenty-five years later, that seems worth remembering more than ever.
Never forget.
