Santa Monica Fire Department holds annual 9/11 memorial ceremony

9/11 Memorial at City Hall Civic Plaza, Rosemead, Calif. on Wednesday, Sept 10, 2025. The sculpture consists of two hands made up of reflective cutouts of thousands of dove-like shapes holding a steel beam from the World Trade Center. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

9/11 Memorial at Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif. On Wednesday, Sept 10, 2025. The twisted steel beam was salvaged from remnants of the World Trade Center. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

A card left by a visitor on one of the flags in “Waves of Flags”, the annual installation of nearly 3000 flags, one for each victim of 9/11, at Pepperdine University, Malibu, Calif. on Thursday, Sept 11, 2025. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Waves of Flags, the annual installation of nearly 3000 flags, one for each victim of 9/11, displays on the hills of Pepperdine University on Thursday, Sept 11, 2025 at Malibu, Calif. The tradition was started by students in 2008. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

David Ferrugio visits the “Waves of Flags” installation of nearly 3000 flags, one for each victim of 9/11, displayed on the hills of Pepperdine University against the backdrop of the construction from the Palisade fire on Thursday, Sept 11, 2025 at Malibu, Calif. Ferrugio’s father, David Frances Ferrugio, was one of the 9/11 victims who died on the 105th floor, tower 1 of the World Trade Center. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

9/11 Memorial at Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif. On Wednesday, Sept 10, 2025. The twisted steel beam was salvaged from remnants of the World Trade Center. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Danny Ortiz, a firefighter and paramedic with the Santa Monica Fire Dept. Station 2, shares a laugh with his fellow firefighters before the annual ceremony in honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance commemorating the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nathan Hanson | The Corsair)

Danny Ortiz, a firefighter and paramedic with the Santa Monica Fire Dept. Station 2, chats with members of the community who attended the annual ceremony in honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance commemorating the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nathan Hanson | The Corsair)

Danny Ortiz, a firefighter and paramedic with the Santa Monica Fire Dept. Station 2, chats with members of the community who attended the annual ceremony in honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance commemorating the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nathan Hanson | The Corsair)

Matthew Bailey, the fire captain at Santa Monica Fire Dept. Station 2, stands at attention during the annual ceremony in honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance commemorating the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nathan Hanson | The Corsair)

Santa Monica firefighters and city personnel gathered at Fire Station 1 as part of the department's annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony honoring the 2,977 victims of the attack, which included 24  Los Angeles County residents. Stations no. 1, 2, and 3 have held the remembrance ceremony annually since the attacks 24 years ago. 

The moment of silence began at 6:46 a.m., the time American Airlines flight 11 struck the North Tower, and concluded at 7:05 a.m., when United Airlines flight 175 hit the South Tower. The Santa Monica Fire Department lowered the flag to half-mast, and all members of the local fire service stood at attention while a bell rang to commemorate the impacts.

Santa Monica Fire Chief Matthew Hallock said, “At Santa Monica Fire, we always recognize the date with a tragic remembrance of what took place that day, and the lives lost, and the lives that have been impacted every day since that tragic event.”

In 2011, the federal government created the World Trade Center Health Program, a medical program that provides treatment to people afflicted by the 9/11 attacks. The program has over 60,000 members, many with health issues like cancer, PTSD, and respiratory problems from assisting at Ground Zero. 

In attendance were members of the department's new ambulance program, which launched in early September, and Roger, the station's emotional support dog. Roger is a six-year-old English Labrador who joined the team in April 2025.  He gives emotional support to firefighters, city personnel, and community members. 

“It’s very important for us in the fire service to always remember what took place, and the fact that while it’s a tragic event that impacted so many lives, it brought public safety first responders, and our whole nation together to remember how important it is that we are united in our response to terrorism and acts of violence.,” Hallock said. “As tragic as it was, nothing will keep us down from what we do every day within first responders, public safety, and our nation as a whole.”  

The names of the victims from Southern California:

American Airlines Flight 77

Chandler Keller, 29, Manhattan Beach

Yeneneh Betru, 35, Burbank

Ruben S. Ornedo, 39, Los Angeles

Dora Marie Menchaca, 45, Santa Monica

American Airlines Flight 11

Pendyala Vamsikrishna, 30, Los Angeles

Thomas Pecorelli, 31, Topanga

Daniel Lee, 34, Van Nuys

Andrew Green, 34, Santa Monica

John Hofer, 45, Bellflower

John Wenckus, 46, Torrance

Laurie Neira, 48, Los Angeles

Carolyn Beug, 48, Santa Monica

Seima Aoyama, 48, Culver City

Mary Angell, 52, Pasadena

Berinthia Berenson-Perkins, 53, Los Angeles

David Angell, 54, Pasadena

United Airlines Flight 175

David Brandhorst, 3, Los Angeles

Eric Hartono, 19, Los Angeles

Ronald Gamboa, 33, Los Angeles

Maclovio Lopez Jr., 40, Norwalk

Daniel Brandhorst, 41, Los Angeles

Marie Pappalardo, 53, Paramount

Touri Bolourchi, 69, Beverly Hills

Dorothy Aaraujo, 80, Long Beach