Las Vegas Fire Station 5 rings bells to honor 9/11 victims

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Across the valley, several local events are commemorating the nearly 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks, including a ceremony at Las Vegas Fire Station 5.

The day of tributes started at the Fire Station 5 for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue’s 23rd Annual 9/11 Remembrance Tribute. The remembrance ceremony featured the annual “Tolling of the Bells,” which honors all those who lost their lives on this day 23 years ago, including 343 firefighters.

The sound of a bell holds special significance for firefighters. Before there were telephones or radios, the toll of a bell summoned firefighters to the station, signaled the beginning of a shift, notified departments of a call for help, and indicated a call was complete.

Fire departments also sounded a series of bells when a firefighter died in the line of duty, this alerted all members that a fellow first responder had made the ultimate sacrifice. This tradition continues today during funerals and memorial services for firefighters.

The bell rang at Las Vegas Fire Station at 6:45 a.m., the approximate time the South Tower collapsed at the World Trade Center. Following the bell ringing, fire officials raised an American flag that flew over the Trade Center, and retired New York City firefighter Frank Pizarro sang the National Anthem.

Dozens of firefighters and other first responders gathered around the flagpole in front of Fire Station 5. Amid them sat a piece of steel from the World Trade Center that is on display in front of the station. It’s a reminder that we are all connected by the tragic events of 9/11.

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