Utah 9/11 first responders share memories at South Jordan remembrance project

SOUTH JORDAN — Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Utahns who responded to Ground Zero are sharing their firsthand memories as part of a 9/11 remembrance project in South Jordan.

The project gives first responders an opportunity to reflect on what they witnessed in New York and share those experiences with people who may not have been alive when the attacks happened.

Steven Casquarelli, who served as a lieutenant with the New York Fire Department in 2001, said the 25th anniversary is an important opportunity to remember the lives lost and the events that changed the country.

"It's also a way for me to keep the solemnity today," Casquarelli said. "It's the anniversary. It's a very special one, 25 years, and we can't forget this moment."

Scott Zink, who served as a sergeant with New York police, said he immediately knew the damage was serious when he saw the Twin Towers on television.

"We turned the TV on and if anybody has ever seen the buildings, you know they're immense," Zink said. "And the second we saw the damage, we knew it wasn't a small plane. We knew it was an airliner. So I told my partner, 'Save me a car. I'm getting dressed. I'm heading out there.'"

Watch KSL TV's newscasts when the 9/11 attack occurred:

Zink and other first responders made their way to Ground Zero, where they spent days searching through the rubble.

Casquarelli said one of the first things that struck him was how dramatically the towers had been reduced after the collapses.

"Sometimes people ask me what was one of the first things that you saw or affected you, and it was that these buildings were 110 stories tall and they were reduced to about eight stories," Casquarelli said. "So I was shocked at how something so big could be reduced to something so little."

Zink said the search efforts were marked by silence and the sounds of firefighters' PASS alarms, which are designed to alert others when a firefighter is motionless.

"Well, there was a layer of debris already a foot deep, and it was just dead silent," Zink said. "Well, almost immediately I heard hundreds of those alarms going off. And when you sit back and think who that is, that's hundreds of firefighters not moving."

The rescue and recovery work eventually ended, but the memories have remained for the first responders who experienced the attacks firsthand.

The 9/11 Project in South Jordan is now giving those responders a place to share their stories and help younger generations understand the events of Sept. 11 and their lasting impact.

The free exhibit runs through Monday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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