Source: International Association of Fire Fighters
Washington, DC -- The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) will prominently display two massive banners honoring fire fighters who responded to the events of Sept. 11 outside their headquarters, located in the United Unions Building at 1750 New York Ave., NW in Washington, DC. The two banners measure 30 x 50 feet and will be visible to tens of thousands of residents, commuters, and visitors beginning Friday and Monday, Jan. 11 and 14.
"It is impossible to thank those brave men and women enough for the sacrifices they all made on that horrible day," said IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "Still, the International wanted to do something to physically show our appreciation. We also wanted to remind the public that fire fighters will always be there to protect them and keep them out of harm's way."
On Friday, the IAFF will unfurl the first banner on the north side of the United Unions Building. The banner features a thought-provoking photo of a lone fire fighter, head bowed, standing amid twisted girders on a pile of debris at the World Trade Center. The words "Never Forget" appear over the photo. The photo was shot at Ground Zero by freelance photographer Yoni Brook on September 11. It first appeared on the cover of The Washington Post Magazine.
The second banner, which will be displayed on the west side of the IAFF headquarters building Monday morning, contains the now famous photo of three New York fire fighters -- Dan McWilliams, George Johnson, and Billy Eisengrein - erecting a flag among the wreckage of Ground Zero. The phrase "Always Remember" adorns the banner. The photo was taken on Sept. 11 by Tom Franklin, a staff photographer for The Record.
The loss on Sept. 11 of 344 fire fighters in New York, all members of the IAFF, was the darkest day in the organization's history. The IAFF and its two New York affiliates established the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund, which has raised more than $111 million dollars for the families of the fallen fire fighters in New York. The fund has already dispersed $320,000 to each of the fire fighters' families.
Flags at the IAFF Headquarters have been at half-staff since September 11 and will remain at half-staff until the body of the last fire fighter is recovered at Ground Zero.
The International Association of Fire Fighters is an AFL-CIO affiliated labor union representing more than 245,000 professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel in the United States and Canada. IAFF members protect more than 85 percent of the population in the U.S. and are the largest providers of pre-hospital emergency medical care in the U.S. Learn more about the IAFF at www.iaff.org.
