A solemn procession wound its way through downtown Lethbridge on Friday for the annual 9/11 Fallen Firefighter Memorial Parade and Ceremony. Lethbridge Fire and EMS members, volunteer firefighters, police officers and the community honoured and remembered firefighters across North America who have lost their lives in the line of duty. “A lot of our line of duty deaths these days are people I’ve never met because they’ve retired and I can’t speak to that person, but I do meet the family and the family wants to be here and know that the death of their loved one mattered,” said Neil Laboske, who is the commander of the Lethbridge Firefighters Honour Guard. “This is our only opportunity to do that and the only way we know how to do that is with our ceremonies and our traditions.” Southminster United Church hosted a ceremony after a procession from Fire Station No. 1. The names of fallen firefighters were read aloud, each marked by the ringing of a bell. Local dignitaries and first responders laid a wreath in memory of those who served. “When you think about firefighters, you think about them in their bunker gear running towards the fire, but what I think the public may not know is the risks after they take off their gear,” said Brent Nunweiler, president of Lethbridge Firefighters IAFF Local 237. “Most of the names you heard today were (the result of) cancer so our risks stay with us long after we go home. “It’s a dangerous profession — one of the most dangerous in the world — but none of us would choose a different profession so this is what we signed up to do.” Friday’s ceremony carried profound weight for those in attendance as the world marks 25 years since 9/11. “Twenty-five years ago, today our profession changed forever,” Nunweiler said. “We’re honoured to recognize those from not only New York, but our own members locally here who have given their lives for the service of their community.” As the world reflects on the anniversary, local first responders are asking people to come together and unite as one. “There’s a lot of division lately,” Laboske said. “Historically, this has been an event that brings everybody together and especially immediately after the events of 9/11, everyone was very much together and working together on building a future,” he said. “Now with this division, we just hope it’s an opportunity for people to stop and look around and remembers what’s really important and focus on our futures.”
