By Bill Carey
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KEANSBURG, N.J. 鈥� Thirteen years after acquiring a piece of steel from the World Trade Center and seven years after breaking ground, the EMS Council of New Jersey (EMSCNJ) and Keansburg Borough dedicated their 9/11 EMS memorial on Sept. 14.
The granite monument at Keansburg Beach faces directly where the towers once stood across Raritan Bay. It is reported to be the only U.S. memorial solely honoring 9/11 EMS providers, according to the council.
The 95-year-old EMSCNJ represents thousands of volunteers from over 200 EMS agencies statewide. In 2011, the organization received a 338-lb. piece of World Trade Center steel.
After delays due to funding and COVID-19, the long-awaited monument honors EMS personnel who died in the 9/11 attacks and from exposure-related illnesses. Several attendees responded as EMSCNJ volunteers 23 years ago. Of the 54 EMTs and paramedics who died on Sept. 11, 11 were from New Jersey, including five EMSCNJ members.
On Sept. 11, 2001, over 400 ambulances from New Jersey responded to Liberty State Park or the Meadowlands, with many EMSCNJ units sent to Chelsea Pier or paired with FDNY for 911 calls. Some volunteers continued assisting at Ground Zero, while others helped in New York City, all while still responding to emergencies in their towns.
