9/11 past and present

Since the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, law enforcement and firefighters’ daily routines in their professions have seen changes

As the anniversary of Sept. 11 nears, many have moved past the events that took place ten years ago. The feelings of fear and grief took hold of most Americans that day; however, law enforcement officers and firefighters were in the heart of the disaster, and continue to feel its effects. These professionals’ daily routines have changed since that day – with procedure becoming more strict.
For Captain Gilbert French of the Baldwin County Fire Department, many things have changed when it comes to his job. Safety requirements are strongly enforced and overall policy has become stricter.
“Since Sept. 11, many things have become different. National Incident Management is now mandatory training, so all firefighters are on the same page, as well as HAZMAT standards across the entire country,” French said.
“I think it made all of us look really hard at communication, because Milledgeville might be small, but we could still be a target, and because of that, we are much more united,” French said.
As a precaution, men and women in the Baldwin County Fire Department have started branch-specific training. French must conduct pre-incident planning once a month.
“We go to commercial businesses and conduct drills on how to get citizens out, and we need to know how buildings are built and where the exits are for this same reason,” French said.
These changes make communication in this field easier.
Georgia College Public Safety has not seen as much change in their daily routine as the Baldwin County Fire Department.
“I believe more things are the same than different, as far as how we operate,” Public Safety Detective Michael Baker said.
However, Baker does see one difference within Public Safety.
“I think the biggest change in the ten years since that infamous day is communication,” Baker said. “Means of communication have been enhanced since then with the development of new technology over the years… digital broadcasting radios and better networking abilities, allow agencies to communicate clearer, farther and faster than before,”  Baker said.
Much like French, Baker stated the entire unit of GC Public Safety is much more unified because of the new and better means of communication.
GC students, although some were not directly affected by the events of Sept. 11, still realize the daily repercussions of the day. Elizabeth Hutchinson, freshman special education major, has noticed changes in the way she travels.
“It seems like airport security is a lot more extensive, but that is just from my limited experience.” Hutchinson said.

Lauralee Iaquinto
Contributing Writer

 

Ten-year anniversary ceremonies aim to bring Milledgeville community and GC campus together

The ten-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks is quickly approaching. While in the past, Georgia College has held small college-wide memorials, this year The GIVE Center Director Kendall Stiles, along with Pam Beer of The Baldwin Bulletin, decided Milledgeville’s ceremony for the National Day of Service and Remembrance should be a bit different. The remembrance event at Georgia College spans five days, Sept. 9-13.
“We want not only to remember and honor those who lost their lives ten years ago, but also to thank those who keep us safe here in Milledgeville on a daily basis,” Beer said.
In order to do that properly, they want the entire Milledgeville community to get involved.
Everyone is invited to join the many events being held, including a Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony at 3 p.m., on Front Campus in honor of four individuals from Georgia that lost their lives on that day. A candlelight vigil will also be held on Front Campus with 92 candles to represent the number of countries that lost someone in the Sept. 11 attacks.
A walking parade will take place on Sept. 13, beginning on Front Campus and ending at Georgia Military College, with a community-wide barbecue sponsored by GC, GC’s foundation, Sodexo and GMC.
Local schools are getting involved as well. Second graders at Midway Elementary school will be holding a reception for Baldwin County Fire Rescue volunteers to honor the men who keep Baldwin County safe.
Another event in honor of the attacks is the stair climb fundraiser on Tuesday, Sept. 13.
Pi Kappa Phi and the GC Fire Brigade are sponsoring a  fundraiser at the Centennial Center as a way of honoring the 343 firefighters that lost their lives on Sept. 11 and the 220 flights of stairs they climbed that day. Teams of participants will wear a fireman’s uniform and climb as many stairs as possible.
Anyone is welcome to participate in creating a team for a $50 registration fee. Each additional person is $25, contact stairclimb@gcsupikapp.org to register a team. Pi Kappa Phi will also be selling memorial T-shirts for $14.
The money raised will benefit widows and children of firemen in New York as well as the Georgia Chapter of the National Fallen Firemen Foundation.
Billy Benzur, vice president of both Pi Kappa Phi and the GC Fire Brigade remarked “Many Americans have, sadly, let their patriotism dwindle away at a time when we should all be flying the colors in our front yards, and cheering every time a man or woman in uniform safely returns home.”
“Through the stair climb, we hope that students and faculty of GCSU and GMC, as well as the rest of the community in Milledgeville, will remember the day the world stopped turning and will have their spirits swell with pride and appreciation for the red, white and blue and all who serve to protect it from danger both foreign and domestic,” Benzur said.
Stiles  also hopes to bring the Milledgeville community and GC campus together for the anniversary.
“This type of program should, and does not, belong to one group but rather one community,” Stiles said. “We have also planned a variety of events so that individuals can celebrate or remember that day in the way that they feel is important to them. It may be from remembrance of that day as well as the victims, to paying tribute to the victims by doing service in honor of them or in celebrating our local heroes who protect us every day.”

Emily Rivers
Contributing Writer