Fire station approved to erect WTC artifact
The Fort Myers Beach Board of Fire Commissioners gave unanimous approval to erect a constructed flagpole memorial featuring one of two recently acquired World Trade Center artifacts. The action happened during Fire Control District’s monthly meeting at Town Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 16.
The artifacts are 30 inch- by 16-inch by 16-inch I-beams collected from the World Trade Center wreckage site caused by the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The other I-beam will be cut into three pieces and placed at the three Beach fire stations.
The historic wreckage from 9/11 was made available to first responders once Osama bin Laden was captured. The steel beams were declared artifacts in May.
FMB Fire Medical Officer Lt. Randy Kraus, Assistant Fire Chief Darren White and Lt. Ronald Martin traveled up to New York City inside the Community Emergency Response Team van in July to pick up the pieces of World Trade Center history. They were obtained after Kraus sent a written inquiry to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, who maintains the WTC site, and was later approved.
Kraus, a New York City native, was a paramedic and first responder in New York City at the time of the infamous 9/11 attacks. The fire commissioners honored him for 7 years of Beach fire service at the meeting.
“This has nothing to do with me, this department or the unions. It has everything to do with freedom,” he said. “These are significant pieces of American history that show the cost of freedom in the United States.”
At the fire board meeting, FMB Chief Mike Becker sought his board’s permission to move forward on the initiative to erect a memorial to properly display one of the artifacts in front of Fire Station #33 to honor the important day in history. The one major concern from the fire commissioners was one of cost to do such a monument.
Becker notified the board members that commitments from Gora McGahey Architect Services and Fowler Construction have been received, no District cost is perceived to be associated with the process and support has reportedly come from FMB Mayor Larry Kiker.
“Mr. McGahey and Mr. Fowler have verbally committed to me a willingness to do this work without any cost. They are willing to design and build it,” said Becker. “If some (costs) would crop up, I would certainly bring it to your attention.
“I even had a brief discussion with the mayor (who indicated the Town) would waive permitting fees. That still needs to be formalized. Obviously, we would have a lot of rules to follow. If you give me permission, we will move forward with a monument to honor this steel and erect a flagpole in front of Station #33.”
McGahey has submitted a proposed drawing of the flagpole memorial. Becker did state the proposed monument would not be ready for the 10th year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorists attacks.
“I think by next year we could have it in place and possibly have a ceremony there. I think it would honor the day that (the attacks) occurred,” he said.
Two Beach fire commissioners applauded the effort for the proposed monument.
“As long as there is no price tag to go with this, I think it is absolutely fantastic to go ahead with it,” said Commissioner Ted Schindler. “And, if there is a price, maybe we come up with a way of doing some donations or something from the public. I will be the first one to write a check.”
“If we need (money), we will find a way to come back and see what can be done, whether we put on some kind of event or raise money or whatever,” added Board Chairperson Carol Morris.
The FMB Fire Board also approved to allow the chief and fire fighters to have a brief ceremony at Station #33 at 1 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2011. Becker said several departments would be involved in a procession down the road.
“We are thinking about 10 to 15 minutes in a brief ceremony to honor the 10th anniversary of that event,” he said.
The procession will come after officials from Harley Davidson of Fort Myers and Lee County Sheriff’s Office hold a parade, a memorial and a “Rib Rockin’ Rodeo” event.
“We offered them to have one piece of steel for their whole day,” said Kraus. “The other piece of steel will be at Cape Harbour for a 9-11 ceremony, which I am a guest speaker for that event. Afterwards, we will go to Harley Davidson, meet up with that contingency of fire and police emergency vehicles, and then have the procession back here. The pieces will be on display.”