On Thursday, October 30th, Assistant Chief Robert Bancroft, Deputy Chief David Liburdi, Deputy Chief Joseph Lombardo, and Ex-Captain Sean Rooney of the Bedford Hills Fire Department were invited to speak with the 5th-grade class at Bedford Hills Elementary School about the events of September 11, 2001.

Each member shared their personal perspective and experiences from that day:

• Deputy Chief Joseph Lombardo spoke about responding to Ground Zero with the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services as an Emergency Communications Operator for 24 hours, and how he returned in the days that followed to volunteer alongside the FDNY and other first responders in the rescue and recovery efforts.

• Deputy Chief David Liburdi recounted his experience as a part of a Bedford Hills Fire Department crew that relocated to the Bronx in the days after 9/11 to assist the FDNY with emergency response coverage during a 24-hour shift.

• Ex-Captain Sean Rooney recounted his experience as a member of the Pleasantville Fire Department, assisting in rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero and volunteering at FDNY Fleet Services to help clean, repair, and return apparatus to service.

• Assistant Chief Robert Bancroft shared that he was a high school student on 9/11 and that the events of that day inspired him to join the Bedford Hills Fire Department as a Junior Firefighter in the months that followed.

The Bedford Hills Fire Department extends sincere appreciation to Bedford Hills Elementary School for the opportunity to speak with the 5th-grade class and to help ensure that the memory and lessons of September 11th are never forgotten.

#Never Forget #343 #Always In Our Hearts

Photos Courtesy of the Bedford Central School District