Lima fire chiefs remember 9/11

LIMA — On the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attack of 9/11, three fire department chiefs recall the day — a day they will never forget. Lima Fire Chief Andy Heffner, Bath Township Fire Chief Joe Kitchen and Shawnee Township Chief Todd Truesdale spoke at the Lima Rotary Club on Monday afternoon.

The room filled with tears as the chiefs remembered the morning of the planes crashing. Each chief shared their recollection of the day and how it changed their lives forever.

Heffner opened the ceremony and closed, charging the community members to remember the lives of the firefighters and EMS workers. Heffner also recalled listening to the last phone calls of people on 9/11 at the Memorial Museum in New York.

“I looked around the room (at the museum) and almost every single person was bawling,” Heffner said. “I don’t ever think I have seen that, not even at a funeral. If you go, allow yourself to feel that misery. Out of that misery came the brilliance of the heroics that happened that day.”

Kitchen shared a story of how 9/11 not only changed his life, but his career. Before that day, he worked at the Lima Refinery and volunteered as a firefighter. Seven months after the terrorist attacks he decided to become a full-time firefighter to serve his community.

“I did a lot of reflecting in that time period about myself and my life,” Kitchen said. “On April 1, 2002, I resigned from the refinery and became hired at Bath Township as the first career fire chief — I took a huge pay cut and took on a lot of responsibility and stress, but I have zero regrets. I was compelled to serve.”

Truesdale said the day changed him forever. He also shared the importance of informing the next generation of the attack.

“I’ll never forget, that day changed me emotionally,” Truesdale said. “That day I was there with all these firemen sitting in a lounge. We watched what was happening and I had never seen them get tears in their eyes like they did that day.”

Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.