Fire chief urges remembrance of responders, cites ongoing toll from 9/11 recovery work

Corpus Christi Fire Chief Wade addressed attendees during the 25th‑anniversary remembrance, asking the community to honor the firefighters, police officers, emergency responders and civilians affected by the 2001 attacks. He framed 9/11 as a defining moment for the fire service and urged continued support for responders now battling illnesses tied to recovery efforts.

Chief Wade recounted casualty figures during his remarks: “There was almost 3,000 civilians that died that day. There were 71 police officers from the New York City Police Department, the New York Port Authority. 55 of our military members lost their lives at the Pentagon. And for the firefighters, 343 firefighters from the fire department of New York were lost that day.” He added that, “In fact, to this day, we have now lost more of those responders due to those illnesses than we did on the original day.”

Wade highlighted the multi‑generational impact on the fire service and described how departments recover from large losses: if a department loses one member it is tragic; losing dozens or hundreds reverberates across families and organizations. He closed by thanking attendees on behalf of the Corpus Christi Fire Department and urging the community to remember and support first responders who continue to face long‑term health consequences.