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Franklin Square & Munson Fire Department
The Franklin Square & Munson Fire Department held a 9/11 Remembrance Service on Sept. 11, at the Franklin Square firehouse, at 841 Liberty Place.
The service was held in honor of all Franklin Square residents who died on 9/11, as well as members of the Nassau County Fire Department. Families members of victims and members of the community were invited.
The Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center held a memorial on Sept. 9, in conjunction with the formal opening of its 5,000-square-foot 9/11 exhibit, which has been on display since late August and will be displayed until late December.
The display helped remind Long Islanders of the sacrifices made by the 18 active Nassau County volunteer firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11, as well as the impact that the events of that day had on our entire region, especially on the fire service.
The centerpiece of the exhibit includes a series of memorial panels — with photos and brief biographies profiling each of the 18 firefighters who were lost — surrounding a replication of the Twin Towers in hanging strands of metal beads. Personal mementos of many of the victims are also featured, such as a firefighter’s old Hicksville Fire Department hockey jersey, and another firefighter’s set of bagpipes, which he played in fire department parades.
The display also highlights a timeline of the events of 9/11, provided by the New York State Museum. Additionally, the exhibit displays artifacts from 9/11, news coverage and footage, videos, and various interactive places.
Additionally, the exhibit includes the crucial role that Nassau County’s volunteer fire departments played in assisting New York City firefighters in the hours, days and months after the terrorist attacks. Many Long Island volunteer units responded either to the site that day or covered city firehouses, while others helped out for months, providing fire trucks and honor guards for the hundreds and hundreds of funerals and memorial services on Long Island that followed.
Local firefighters Michael Kiefer, 25, who was a member of the Hempstead Volunteer Fire Department and the New York Fire Department’s Ladder 132; and Thomas Hetzel, 33, who was a member of the Franklin Square Munson Volunteer Fire Department and FDNY’s Ladder 13, were honored at the Nassau County Firefighters Museum memorial.
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