The City of Syracuse will hold its annual Sept. 11, 2001 Commemoration Ceremony beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday Sept. 11 at Fayette Firefighters Park. As has been the tradition with this ceremony, there will be no speeches or announcements. The public is invited to attend this outdoor event. The 17 minutes of silence represents the length of time between the first passenger jet striking the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. and the second passenger jet striking the south tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m. As is tradition, two pedestals will be erected by city skilled trades workers to represent the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The pedestals are 5 feet tall and made out of red cement blocks. Each has a flagstone top on which two specially designed 3-wick candles with sconces will be placed during the ceremony. Each wick when lit will commemorate the lives and the families of loved ones lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93 that crashed southeast of Pittsburgh. Also displayed at the commemoration site will be two flags titled ‘Flag of Heroes’ and ‘Flag of Honor.’ ‘The Flag of Heroes’ contains the names of all of the emergency service providers who gave their lives. ‘The Flag of Honor’ includes the names of all civilian victims of Sept. 11. Ceremony schedule
8:30 a.m.: Police and Fire Honor Guard will post colors. Police and Fire will be in place.
8:46 a.m.: 911 Beep and Police/Fire Lights will turn on. This will begin the 17 minutes of silence. (The 911 beep will be broadcast over a channel on Fire and Police frequencies. There will be no broadcast message with this beep; Fire and Police will notify everyone that this will occur. 8:46 a.m.: Candle lighting will begin. Fire Chief Mark McLees and Police Chief Frank Fowler will present candles to Mayor Stephanie A. Miner and County Executive Joanne M. Mahoney, who will remove sconces and light candles. The Police Chief and the Fire Chief will then carry the candles and sconces and place them on the pedestals. 9:03 a.m.: The 911 Beep will sound and Police/Fire Lights will turn off, ending the 17 minutes of silence.