This September 11th members of AYLUS Syosset showed appreciation to the firefighters at the Syosset Fire Station with AYLUS branches Roselyn, Jericho and Bayside. Baked goods ranging from cupcakes to cookies were given to the firefighters in thanks of everything they do. We spoke with a junior firefighter named Joe Fasano who instructed us about firefighter equipment as well as the junior firefighter program. He explained the different parts of different trucks such as the engines that can carry up to 500 gallons of water, ladders that extend to a total of 90 feet and more. He described what firefighters do on a daily basis as well as how they respond to emergencies. He also demonstrated how their protective gear was worn covering head to toe and weighing up to 100 pounds.
Later we walked to the Syosset 9/11 Memorial. There, all of us paid respects and left flowers to the hundreds of firefighters that died helping people as well as the many victims. At the memorial, we met a retired firefighter who experienced 9/11 and lost 18 firefighters that he knew as friends and coworkers. He spoke of how he didn’t believe it was real at first and how he wasn’t on duty at the time, showing up to help anyways just like many other firefighters who just showed up to help. He told us about seeing the smoke in the air and watching the second tower fall. How the event might have only lasted one day to some but for the people on duty or the people that lost family or friends or coworkers, the tragedy lasted months as the aftermath was being cleaned up and bodies were being found.
This event was held to remind us all about the people that keep our lives safe and secure by risking their own. It was a reminder and a chance to learn about the tragedy of 9/11/2001 that all of us were born after but our parents were alive for whether they were in the middle of it or viewed in horror from a distance.
Members of AYLUS Syosset that participated: Margaret Zhang(2.5 hours), Nicole Zhang(4 hours), Rachel Zhang(4 hours), Alyssa Huang(4 hours), Skylar Lee(4 hours) Chance Lee(4 hours), Queena Su(2 hours), Leo Cheng(4 hours), Ying Zhong(2 hours), Tommy Tang(2 hours), Haoyu Qiu(2 hours), Sophia Liu(2 hours) and parents and advisors.
