BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A remembrance ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks will be held at Fire Station 15 in southwest Bakersfield on Friday.
The event begins at 9:30 a.m. and is centered around first responders. School tours of the memorial will follow the morning ceremony, running throughout the day for students in 6th grade through high school. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and will highlight the memorial, a museum inside the station, the Betty Ong bench, and the survivor tree sapling.
A second ceremony focused on first responders and military personnel is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Battalion Chief Alexander Clark said the evening event is meant to symbolize the transition from first responders to the military in the aftermath of the attacks.
"It's going to be us essentially handing off the flag to the military where they took over after the event happened," Clark said.
At the center of the memorial stands a 22-foot, 7-ton steel beam from the World Trade Center, positioned between the fire and police stations. Clark said the beam's placement was intentional.
"One of the reasons we got it was because of the location between two public service agencies that gave so much that day," Clark said.
The beam has additional historical significance — rust-colored paint on it has been identified as evidence that it was also present during the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. A Pentagon base illuminates the beam at night, and the beam itself functions as a sundial. Medallions embedded in the ground mark the local times each of the four planes went down on September 11, 2001.
Just feet from the beam is a sapling from the survivor tree, and nearby sits a bench dedicated to Betty Ong.
The Bakersfield Fire Department sent 2 of its captains to the Pentagon as part of the initial response management team following the attacks. Clark said the community's connection to that day runs deep.
"There's so many stories, so many connections to 9/11, to the events that day, to the war that followed afterwards," Clark said.
Ronald Reagan Elementary School brings students to the memorial each year for the ceremony. Clark said the community's continued support means a great deal to those in uniform.
"To see them come out every year and support it — to see that support is just amazing," Clark said.
Schools interested in signing up for a tour can visit the Bakersfield Fire Department's website or call to be added to the list.
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.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
