A 9/11 reflection: Never forget the innocent lives lost and the emergency personnel who selflessly responded

Today is an anniversary of a terrorist attack that the country so desperately wishes had never happened but must commit to never forgetting.  

For DPS Assistant Commissioner T. John Cunningham, that moment and the days that followed the 9/11 attacks will always be with him. As a 21-year-old volunteer firefighter from Connecticut, he was at Ground Zero in the days following the attacks, digging through the rubble. What started as a rescue mission for survivors soon turned into a recovery mission of those who died.  

“You could see firetrucks that were just demolished and destroyed. Firefighters and police officers, first responders were lost. For me that was the driving motivation. We had to bring them home and search for anyone who may have survived or lost their life that day. This is where the brotherhood of public safety, especially in the fire service, really comes in that we just show up and help. You’re looking for your brothers and sisters and anyone else.”

Nearly 3,000 people were killed, including 343 members of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). Cunningham worked alongside FDNY firefighter Billy Quick in the recovery effort. Quick later contracted cancer from working at Ground Zero and passed away. Cunningham and other firefighters made a surprise visit to see him the day before he died.

“That was the last memory that all of us have with Billy, and that was one of the most difficult. He was bigger than life and a great guy.”

The 9/11 attacks motivated Cunningham and others to pursue a life in public safety. His career has included serving as fire chief of the Elk River and Brooklyn Park fire departments in Minnesota.  

As our country reflects on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, remember the innocent lives that were taken. Honor the firefighters, law enforcement and so many others who selflessly responded.

That gratitude needs to extend to emergency responders serving us today in communities across Minnesota. “If you’re law enforcement, fire, EMS, emergency management, you pick the public safety profession, but we are all one team. It’s an incredibly difficult job, and it’s something I saw firsthand on September 11,” Cunningham said.  

Cunningham reminds all of us to “just say thanks” to those in public safety. 

“We need to come together as a community and ask the question of ‘how can I help? How can I support our emergency responders who are on the front lines, protecting communities, and how can I make my community safer?’ We need good people to step up, whether that’s volunteering, just helping your neighbor, getting involved in public service or just supporting public safety. You can make a difference in what you do every day, even a small task.”