21 years ago, on September 11th, 2001, thousands of lives were lost in New York, Washington D.C., and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. "It was just one of those horrible days you hope you never have to live through," said David Halbrooks, Deputy Fire Chief with the Fort Wainwright Fire Department. On Friday, September 9, a crowd gathered at Fort Wainwright to pay tribute to the heroes of 9/11, and to remember those who were lost. Soldiers, legislators and guests were all in attendance. The flag was flying at half mast, a bell was rung and a moment of silence observed. The ceremony included renditions of the National Anthem, Taps, and Amazing Grace, followed by the crowd joining together to sing God Bless America. It was the first event of its kind on base since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Colonel Nathan Surrey, U.S. Army Garrison Alaska Commander on Fort Wainwright. "It's absolutely important that we never allow what happened on that day to be forgotten."  

Three firefighters were injured early Sunday morning while battling a fire that engulfed a historic church in South Los Angeles, officials said. More than 100 firefighters responded to the major emergency fire at Victory Baptist Church at 4802 S. Mckinley Ave. for one hour and 40 minutes. One firefighter suffered moderate injuries and two others sustained minor injuries; two of them were transported to a hospital while the other was treated at the scene, an LAFD spokesperson said. The fire was reported at 2:22 a.m. Firefighters ended the offensive battle and took up defensive positions outside the building after the interior structure collapsed, trapping multiple firefighters, he said. The defensive fight was aimed at putting out the flames and protecting structures near the burning building, which was constructed more than 100 years ago.  

PHOTOS: First responders from across Brazos County gathered early Sunday morning outside the Stella Hotel in Bryan. The group of firefighters, police officers, and paramedics paused to pay tribute to their brothers and sisters that made the ultimate sacrifice 21 years ago today. First responders, many in full gear climbed the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs as a tribute to the heroes who died at Ground Zero on 9/11. The morning kicked off with first responders and their families taking a moment of silence to reflect on the lives lost followed by a prayer and playing of the national anthem. As participants made the climb up the stairs, many stopped at the bottom to grab a photo of one of the fallen to accompany them up to the top. A total of 2,977 people died in the attacks that day including 343 New York City firefighters who died while trying to rescue people trapped inside the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.  

VIDEO: A pair of fire trucks racing through a New Jersey city en route to put out flames scorching a downtown business collided, critically injuring three firefighters Saturday evening, city officials said. The two fire department trucks were responding to a fire on Main Street when they smashed into one another at Broadway and Straight Street around 5:30 p.m., officials said. One truck was going down Broadway, the other down Straight. The impact of the collision sent one truck straight into a tree, while the other crashed into a neighboring grocery store. Video taken inside Golden Mango Supermarket showed the front of the apparatus had broken through the front wall of the store. No customers were injured. At least eight firefighters apart of the same company, in the fire engine that struck the tree, were rushed to a local hospital.  

VIDEO: Oklahoma State University christened its first new fire truck in almost a century on Sunday. The school's Fire Service Training program plans to use it to train a new generation of firefighters. The ceremony happening on September 11th was pure coincidence, meant to coincide with the start of its biannual academy, but the program's directors believe in its significance. Like millions of Americans, assistant director Rodney Foster remembers exactly where he was when he heard the news. "I was having breakfast with my crew," said Foster, a former firefighter himself. "Someone said, ‘A plane flew into the building.' And that's really all we heard. I didn't think it was a plane that was the size of the plane that flew into the building, and I didn't think it was that building."  

VIDEO: An old hospital is getting new life while helping retain and recruit firefighters. The Vermont Fire Academy is based in Pittsford which can be up to two hours away from many fire departments across the state. The distance has made it difficult for firefighters to get the necessary training and hard to incentivize them to attend optional ones. To help decrease the commute time and encourage more attendance, the Vermont Fire Academy has opened dorms. What once was a hospital to treat tuberculosis patients and then an administrative building is now a brand new dorm for firefighters, ready for use at just the right time. "If we can take down the barriers to receiving that training, providing better access to the campus does that so hopefully we can help with that recruitment effort by making it easier for people to get their training," said Micahel Scaza, the Vermont Fire Academy's acting chief of training.