Surrey firefighter Carl Enns, who volunteered at Ground Zero in New York after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, is hosting a tribute to U.S. firefighters on Sept. 10.
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Letter to Editor
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By Christine Lyon - Surrey North Delta Leader
Published: September 05, 2008 10:00 AM
Updated: September 05, 2008 10:53 AM
Most of us remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when the World Trade Center collapsed.
Surrey firefighter Carl Ens had just woken up. He switched on the TV for his kids, but instead of watching cartoons, they watched the twin towers burn.
"When I saw the first tower go down, my first thought was 'there's firefighters in there.' "
Ens was one of more than 200 Surrey firefighters – about half the department – who purchased a plane ticket and flew across the continent to help.
By the time they arrived in New York, it was November. Ground Zero had been declared a crime scene and they weren't allowed to sort through the rubble.
But they were still there "just to support the New York firefighters and let them know that there were guys who cared for them and were backing them."
The New Yorkers were exhausted from clearing Ground Zero and attending an endless chain of funerals for the 343 firefighters who died Sept. 11.
To offer some respite, the Surrey firefighers volunteered to attend funerals in their place.
Ens watched grief-stricken wives and children walk behind casket-bearing fire trucks and saw the ripple effect just one death can have.
To commemorate the seventh anniversary of 9/11, three members of the New York Fire Department are coming to Surrey to pay tribute to their colleagues.
On Sept. 10, Firefighters for Christ presents A Night to Remember: A Tribute to September 11, 2001.
Jerry Sillcocks (Engine 48, The Bronx), Dominic Cassase (Ladder 39, The Bronx) and Carlos Vazquez (Hazmat Ops, FDNY) will share their experiences from Ground Zero and explain how their faith helped them get through the tragic event.
Surrey is the only Canadian chapter of Firefighters for Christ, of which Ens is a member. The international organization encourages firefighters to live by their faith and strive to become better people.
The free-admission event takes place Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. at Pacific Academy's Chandos Pattison Auditorium, 10238 168 St.
clyon@surreyleader.com
