Escalon’s firefighters, police officers and emergency responders, along with fire personnel from nearby Farmington, gathered in front of the Escalon firehouse on Coley Avenue to mark the anniversary of 9/11 on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

It was 18 years ago, Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorist attacks saw planes crash into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon and go down in a field in Pennsylvania. The firehouse was the scene for a brief memorial ceremony to mark the occasion, beginning at 9:11 a.m. and lasting about half an hour.

Hosted by Escalon Fire Chief Rick Mello, the remembrance has been held each year since he has served as chief of the local fire department. Mello provided a brief chronology of the events from that fateful day; there was also a bell-ringing ceremony to signify the ‘end of watch’, the raising and lowering of the flag, a moment of silence and a closing prayer as part of the event. Mello also pointed out the growing number of first responders who have succumbed to illnesses contracted due to serving and working in the rubble of the Twin Towers in the days and weeks that followed the attacks.

Mello said he will have a 9/11 ceremony each year; this was the 13th year of the observance in Escalon.