Retired Saratoga Springs fire captain recalls deploying to Ground Zero

Retired Saratoga Springs Fire Department Captain Frank Spenceri told the crowd he and local firefighters drove to Lower Manhattan in the days after Sept. 11 to assist at Ground Zero, leaving families and shifts behind to help recovery efforts. He described the pride he felt in the community response and the continuing impact on those who served.

"I remember picking up the phone and calling my husband, Zach, not because I had answers, because I needed to hear a voice that I trusted while the world stopped making sense," Spenceri said as he recalled the shock and the decision to go help. He also noted the community response locally, citing donations, supplies and opened doors that supported first responders at the time.