ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Community members and emergency personnel gathered at the Winnebago County 9-11 Emergency Responders Memorial to honor the firefighters, emergency medical service workers, and police officers who responded to the Sept. 11 attacks.
During the ceremony, participants laid a wreath near a segment of a steel beam preserved from the World Trade Center. The event paid tribute to the first responders killed while rescuing lives at the Twin Towers, as well as the thousands who have since died from Sept. 11-related illnesses.
Dedicated in 2016, the Winnebago County 9-11 Emergency Responders Memorial features a section designated to honor local first responders killed in the line of duty…