It’s been 20 years since terrorists attacked the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001, but first responders have not let down their guard.
The attacks triggered major initiatives to improve communications among first responder agencies and to provide emergency personnel with training to deal with terrorism, and that work continues today.
The Rock Community Fire Protection District was among several first-responder agencies that took part July 28 in an exercise designed to prepare them for a possible shooter on a boat traveling the Mississippi River in St. Louis.
At about 8:30 a.m. that day, the call for the exercise came in and first responders were told an active shooter was on the Tom Sawyer Riverboat, which had departed 30 minutes earlier from near the Gateway Arch. The first responders took off through the water to catch up with the boat where the river splits below the Chain of Rocks Bridge in north St. Louis.
The Coast Guard coordinated the response, and SWAT team members from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Illinois State Police boarded to secure the decks and neutralize the shooting threat.
After being told everything was clear, firefighters from Rock Fire, the St. Louis Fire Department and the Mascoutah (Ill.) Fire Department boarded the Tom Sawyer to treat any wounded and transport them to shore.
The training exercise was just one of many area first responders have completed over the past two decades.
“This all started on 9/11,” said Steve Vargo, deputy chief and training officer for Rock Fire. “The federal government decided we needed a way for first-responding agencies to be able to communicate and work together.”
Preparing for tragedy
The July 28 exercise was organized by the St. Louis Area Regional Response System (STARRS), which started getting federal funding for the exercises about five years ago, Vargo said.
He said some previous training exercises included a simulated threat at Busch Stadium and a bomb threat in St. Charles.
The need for first-responding agencies to effectively communicate with each other and respond to acts of terrorism became a priority after 9/11, when 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the U.S.
Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Penn. Almost 3,000 people were killed during the attacks.
Vargo said the July 28 training was significant for him because the 20th anniversary of 9/11 was approaching.
“There were things in place before Combined Coordinated Terrorist Attacks program that provided resources to first responders to handle huge catastrophes, like terrorist attacks, (Hurricane) Katrina, tornadoes, major flooding or whatever it is. After getting the infrastructure in place, we had to figure out if we can all play together like we are supposed to.
“We have learned a lot. It has been very beneficial.”
Training exercise
Vargo said he was one of seven Rock firefighters who participated in the July 28 exercise. He said the district brought two of its boats for the training.
He said the training was supposed to be held in the summer of 2020, but was postponed because of COVID-19.
Initially, more agencies, including the Herculaneum Fire Department, were going to take part in the training but some could not make the July event.
“It was scheduled to be a bigger exercise,” Rock Fire Chief Jeff Broombaugh said. “This was a large-scale incident, so it was a little out of the realm from our normal day-to-day operations. It tested the abilities of the Coast Guard, fire service, EMS and law enforcement.”
Vargo said one of the main objectives for the exercise was to make sure all the first responders could easily communicate with each other.
“We all don’t have the same frequency on our radios, but we were able to use the Coast Guard band to communicate on that frequency to pass along information,” he said. “The biggest objective for Rock Community was trying to figure out if we would be able to communicate and know when the boat was safe for us to get on it. That worked well. The police used their frequency to secure the boat and neutralize the threat. Then they got on the Coast Guard frequency to say everything was clear. The communication worked out really well.”
Vargo said 20 firefighters were on the Tom Sawyer playing the part of wounded victims, and 20 mannequins were on the boat representing people who either had died or were wounded and could not move on their own.
“We had to work together and with police to be sure everything was done,” he said. “Then get the victims to the shore and transported for treatment.”
Along with being able to work with other agencies, Vargo said the exercise helped Rock firefighters hone their skills dealing with riverboats.
He said those skills are important for Rock firefighters because Kimmswick now has a port that has become a landing spot for riverboat cruises, and the port is expected to become the home for the Delta Queen riverboat.
Two boats operated by the American Queen Steamboat Co. of New Albany, Ind., have docked at the Kimmswick port this summer.
On July 11, the American Duchess stopped in Kimmswick. It was the first time in more than 125 years that a riverboat filled with passengers made a stop in the town.
On Aug. 20, the American Countess, a 245-passenger riverboat, docked at the small river town.
“As soon as we heard about the port years ago, that is when Chief Broombaugh said we need to upgrade our response on the Mississippi,” Vargo said. “We ran calls on the Mississippi occasionally with tugboats. The difference with tugboats is they are trained to beach the barges and sit still until we can get there to help them. The cruise ships are more difficult to beach. We need to practice going alongside them when they are moving.”
Rock firefighters will be among the first responders honored at the city of Arnold’s annual 9/11 Tribute Service, to be held Saturday. Sept. 11, at the Arnold Recreation Center. Several other 9/11 anniversary events will be held around the county (See story above.).
Events commemorating 9/11 to be held throughout county
Several events will be held Saturday, Sept. 11, around the county to remember and honor those who died in the terrorist attacks that scarred the U.S. two decades ago.
■ The Arnold Food Pantry will hold a Tribute to First Responders Run at 8 a.m. in Arnold City Park, 1 Bradley Beach Road.
■ The city of Arnold will hold its annual 9/11 Tribute Service at 9 a.m. at the Arnold Recreation Center Memorial Garden, 1695 Missouri State Road.
■ The Northwest Branch of the Jefferson County Library, 5680 Hwy. PP, in High Ridge will have a walk-through 9/11 exhibit open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the branch will hold a memorial story time at 10 a.m. that can be accessed through its Facebook page.
■ The Meramec-Arnolds Elks Lodge, 1515 Miller Road, in Imperial will hold a barbecue for first responders starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12. First responders eat for free and proceeds from Saturday’s sales will be donated to BackStoppers.
“I think remembering it (the anniversary of the attacks) every year is important,” said State Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial), who will be the keynote speaker for Arnold’s 9/11 Tribute Service. “With it being the 20th anniversary and the current events (in Afghanistan) that have happened in the last couple of weeks, I think it takes on more significance.”
Food pantry run
Ed Fitzhenry, the Arnold Food Pantry’s executive director, said the run will likely be the organization’s only fundraising event this year.
He said with the run falling on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the food pantry wanted to honor first responders by allowing them to participate for free.
“It is our small way of honoring them,” Fitzhenry said. “The theme is what carries the event.”
The event features a 5K run, which costs $38 to enter, and a 1-mile run or walk, which costs $28 to enter. The event also will feature basket raffles and a 50/50 raffle with proceeds from registration fees and raffle earnings to benefit the food pantry.
The band Torchlight Parade is scheduled to perform throughout the morning.
The event is sponsored by Humana, Fireworks City, Arsenal Credit Union, First Community Credit Union, Express Employment Professionals and the Arnold Tourism Commission. Participants may pick up race packets or register for the race from noon-6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10, at Arnold City Hall, 2101 Jeffco Blvd.
For more information call the Food Pantry at 636-287-3663 or email edfitzhenry.afp@gmail.com.
9/11 Tribute Service
The city of Arnold will hold its remembrance ceremony for the 10th time this year after canceling the event last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The public is invited to attend the event, which will include a free coffee and doughnut reception following a ceremony that will last about 30 minutes. Admission to the event is free.
Along with Shaul, Mayor Ron Counts is scheduled to speak at the event, which will be held outside the rec center in a garden that has a piece of metal from the World Trade Center that was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks. Members of the Arnold Police Department, Rock Community Fire Protection District and Rock Township Ambulance will be honored during the ceremony, which will feature a blessing of first responders.
“We have always had a nice ceremony for our first responders, and I think they appreciate that,” said Teresa Kohut, Arnold recreation supervisor. “We typically have about 50 (people at the event). Maybe there will be more this year because of the day and the anniversary.”
Shaul said the event has special meaning for him because he’s a U.S. Air Force veteran, and his son, Matthew, a Windsor High School graduate, is a member of the Air Force and is stationed overseas.
In addition to remembering the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Shaul said he will be thinking about how the U.S. ended its 20-year war and occupation of Afghanistan in August.
He said he will pay tribute to the 13 U.S. troops who died when two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked Kabul’s airport on Aug. 26. At least 18 other service members and more than 140 Afghans were wounded in the airport attack.
“It is mixed emotions,” Shaul said of being part of the 9/11 ceremony. “You remember the pain, but also, you remember how we came together as a country, neighborhood, community and a family of Americans. You saw last week how the country came together when 13 soldiers were killed in one of the worst days in the Afghan war. You saw how the country came together. It is unfortunate that it takes a monumental event for us to come together. We should be united because we are the United States of America, not because of tragedies.”
For more information call the Parks and Recreation Department at 636-282-2380.
Northwest Branch
Kristen Curtis, youth service supervisor at the Northwest Branch of the Jefferson County Library, said this will be the library’s first the 9/11 exhibit.
The display will feature posters depicting archival images, artifacts, individual stories and explanatory text about the attacks and the aftermath.
“Those who walk through the exhibit will have a deeper understanding of what that day was,” Curtis said.
Curtis said 9/11 commemorative ribbons representing the victims of the attack, first-responder agencies and the places that were attached will be handed out, and children will receive kits to take home.
For the virtual story time, members of the Hillsboro Police Department, North Jefferson County Ambulance District and High Ridge Fire Protection District will share stories about what it means to be a first responder and what 9/11 means to them.
For more information call Curtis at 636-677-8186 or email kcurtis@jeffcolib.org.
First-responders barbecue
The Meramec-Arnold Elks will sell St. Louis-style ribs, baby back ribs, rib tips, pork steaks, pulled pork, brats, brat burgers, chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs to mark the 9/11 anniversary. Meals cost between $5 and $24 and most meals include two sides , although a slab of ribs meal will include four sides.
For more information call 636-464-8960.