Ceremony commemorates 9/11

Hoover Fire Station 2 hosted a ceremony in remembrance of Sept. 11, 2001.

Dr. Sarah Nafziger, director of the Office of EMS at UAB, spoke about her experience on active duty in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.

"I found myself suddenly out of the streets of New York City with thousands of other people, and  realized we were in a melting pot because there were people from all over the world," she said. I had a sudden moment of clarity in all the chaos and confusion because, number one, we were all Americans... That fear quickly turned into resolve, and I saw each and every person out there care for one another, clean each other's wounds, wipe up tears. And I witnessed heroes being heroes that day.

Nafziger also reflected on the similarities between 9/11 and the bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963.

"We need to love and help those around us and give them a hand up instead of a hand out," she said. "That's the thing that I can do to honor the memories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice that day."