Seventeen minutes after American Airlines Flight 11 Crashed into the North Tower (Tower 1) of the World Trade Center on Sept.11, 2001 the world was shaken by the sight of United Airlines flight 175 hurling into the South Tower (Tower 2) The world has not been the same since.

On Sept. 10 of this year, an event to honor the fallen Firefighters and other First Responders who perished that day was held at MATC Oak Creek campus from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It was a day of remembrance and education. In the morning, a memorial service honoring the fallen was held. As the American flag supported by two firetrucks blew in the wind and rain, the names of the First Responders were read. As the National Anthem was sung the rain began to die down loosening its own sense of grief upon the waving flag. After the Ceremony, event goers were sent back to the main waiting area to prepare for the experience.

The event, Fire Operations 101 Expo, was put together by The Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin. It showed all the tools, tactics and training of a fire department. Event goers were given the opportunity to wear the same gear that firemen wear in the line of duty.

This gear was worn throughout the day, as they went from station to station, going through different exercises meant to simulate firefighting conditions. Exercises included using devices like the “Jaws of Life,” which is used to cut open cars if doors are stuck or bent beyond opening. SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) used when Firefighters enter smoke filled buildings. Participants entered a concrete building with a live fire going in one of the rooms, here they had to put out the fire using a firehose that had to be carried into the building by a small team.

According to Lt. Mahlon Mitchell, President of The Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, and Lieutenant of the Madison Fire Department, this type of exposure and training is offered to City officials, “It has elected officials go through some of the paces of being a firefighter and letting them get a small view of what our job entails and how labor intensive it really is at times… We hold a statewide one every two years.”

James Davis, Event Instructor, stated, “It’s a perfect way for those community leaders to get out and be able to see what we actually do. You see it a lot in the news, but you don’t really put two and two together….when those elected officials go for budgets …when we have new equipment requests, training requests. This is the reason why we hold events like this, because this is a very labor intensive job and we need that equipment to get the job done.”

After going through each station with the groups, I couldn’t help but think of the amount of training, courage and nobility it takes to be a firefighter. To know that such people are willing to stare into the face of danger at what can often feel like the most desperate of times shows that even in this world controlled by fear and uncertainty there are those willing to fight against it.