BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Hundreds gathered at the 9/11 Memorial in Southwest Bakersfield on Friday to mark 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The Bakersfield Fire Department's memorial event brought together first responders from local and state agencies to honor the lives lost during and after the attacks at the base of the 9/11 monument.
Speakers, including BFD Fire Chief Kevin Albertson, BPD Chief Brent Stratton, and Congressman Vince Fong, reflected on the devastating events from 25 years ago and urged the community to remember not only those who lost their lives, but also the countless first responders who risked and sacrificed everything to save others.
BFD Deputy Chief Bryce Patterson addressed the crowd during the ceremony.
"Remember the families whose lives were forever changed. Remember the firefighters, law enforcement officers, military members, dispatchers, medical personnel, and ordinary citizens who moved toward others when every instinct could have told them to move away," Patterson said.
Attendee Harold Raymond said the gathering carried deep meaning for him.
"It's touching to be out here and feel the vibrations of everybody else… I hope that today opens the eyes of a lot of people that don't even know that this memorial exists here," Raymond said.
Ahead of the ceremony, I spoke with residents about the 25th anniversary and Friday's event. Edward Budney said he hopes the day's reflections serve as a reminder of unity and resilience.
"I think an event like this should bring us together. I know we're a country divided right now, but hopefully it'll, you know, provide great strides to bring us all together and act as one big, one common and unified country," Budney said.
One couple preparing to leave the memorial ceremony said they would like to see more love when days like today are talked about in the future.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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