An Early Morning Memorial

BERKELEY -- The haunting cry of a trumpet pierced the dawn silence early Wednesday at a fire station in Berkeley as residents, firefighters and police officers observed last year's terror attacks at a memorial gathering Staffers from the Berkeley Police and Fire Departments and several public officials including Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean spoke briefly at the event, driving home a message of pride and remembrance.

"Let us take this time to rededicate ourselves to the memories of those people who responded selflessly," said Fire Chief Reginald Garcia, who heads a department of 122 men and women. "Let us rededicate ourselves to our mission -- the savior of property, the savior of lives."

Roughly 60 fire and police officers and two dozen local residents -- several sporting FDNY t-shirts or baseball caps, a few clutching Kleenex -- attended the 7am ceremony, set against gleaming red fire trucks and a somber slate sky at Fire Station #2 on Berkeley Way.

Lt. Rick Guzman, president of the Berkeley Fire Fighters Association, said he would never forget the image of the hijacked airplanes hitting the World Trade Center -- nor will he forget the way he discovered at that moment what was important to him in his life.

"If each of us can harness that part of us, who we were that day, we'll be better off for it," Guzman said, an American flag flapping at half-mast behind him.
Acting Chief of Police Roy Meisner reminded the community of Berkeley's own fallen heroes. Ron Tsukamoto, for whom the Tsukamoto Public Safety Building on Martin Luther King Jr. Way is named, was killed in 1970 after only 11 months on the job. Officer Jimmie Rutledge, a 23-year veteran, was killed in 1973.
Councilwoman Linda Maio of District 1 said there is no way to anticipate what will happen next. "We need to ask the powers that be for the wisdom to understand how to counter this hatred," she said, her voice choking. "It will take everything we have to work toward a peaceful world."

Mayor Shirley Dean agreed, encouraging everyone present to "give an extra hug to wives, partners, children and friends every single day."

Berkeley's firefighters may not be hugging one another on a daily basis, but some things have changed.

"We're closer now," Greg Lauzao told a reporter following the ceremony. "We've become more aware of our surroundings, more aware of the possibilities of what's out there."

Lauzao, a ten-year veteran of firefighting, joined Berkeley's force a year and a half ago. The 33-year old used his own savings and vacation time to travel to Manhattan late last year, where he presented the Fire Department of New York with a check for $800,000 on behalf of Berkeley's 122-member department. The Berkeley Department raised the money via participation in the national "Fill The Boot" campaign, for which firefighters stood on street corners and requested passerby to drop cash into rubber collection boots. The money wound up in the New York Fire 9-11 Relief Fund, which disperses funds for families of the firefighters and emergency response technicians killed last September 11.

In New York, Lauzao heard firsthand accounts of that day's events and attended several funerals.

"Standing next to me on one side was a Canadian [fireman] and on my other side there was one from Virginia," the Sonoma County resident said, adding that the coming together of so many firefighters from all walks of life was a powerful experience.

"When I leave for work and say goodbye to loved ones," he said before darting off to report to duty, "I really think about it now."