This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

KVFD Installs World Trade Center Piece in Memorial Park

Sixteen-foot, one-ton metal segment is part of 9/11 structural remains, and of history.

A one-ton piece of structural remains from the 9/11 point of impact at the World Trade Center towers was delivered and today installed on the grounds of the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department (KVFD) Station 5.

The burned and twisted steel beam arrived by flatbed truck, with motorcycle police escort, to the station at Connecticut Avenue and Plyers Mill Road. In sweltering heat, a crowd of officials, firefighters, volunteers, contractors and local residents looked on as the segment was hoisted by crane and placed upright on a pre-built pedestal in the Memorial Park area, located on the building's north side.

Fire Department officials, including KVFD President Steven Semler, Fire Chief Jim Stanton, along with Kensington Mayor Peter Fosselman took turns twisting the a wrench to tighten nuts on bolts securing the beam to its foundation. 

Find out what's happening in Kensingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"This is an extraordinary piece of history, and unites Kensington to [the] New York brotherhood of firefighters, police, EMTs and paramedics and citizens who fell victim to 9/11," said KVFD President Semler. "We shall never forget."

The beam was awarded to KFVD by the Port Authority of New York and the September 11 Families Association for the Memorial creation. The Memorial Park also includes a block of limestone facade from the Pentagon damaged in the 9/11 attack, especially significant as KFVD was among the first responders on the scene that day. The Pentagon stone was awarded to KFVD by the Department of Defense in recognition of the fire department's emergency response.

Find out what's happening in Kensingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Delivery and placement of the one-ton beam was donated by Heidenberger Construction, by President Stephen Heindenberger, whose sister-in-law was a flight attendant on United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania during the 9/11 attacks.

Charles LeFevre of Heidenberger was on hand overseeing transport as well as hoisting and placement of the 9/11 fragment. LeFevre said he was being very careful with the operation, especially "knowing where it came from."

Work designing and building the memorial itself was also donated by dozens of area contractors. KFVD broke ground on the project in April. An official dedication of the memorial is set for June 25.

Commemorative bricks for the memorial area are still available to purchase for donation to the memorial. For more information, visit www.kvfd.org.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.