DRACUT REMEMBERS: Firefighters, Police and Community Come Together to Honor Those Lost on Sept. 11, 2001

DRACUT — At precisely 8:46 a.m. — the exact time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 — Dracut Firefighter Michael Petrilli rang a bell five times outside of the Jones Avenue Fire Station.

Then he did it again, and again, and again. 

Before firefighters had radios to communicate, the New York City Fire Department would ring a bell five times, four times in a row, to signal that a firefighter had answered his final call. This became known as “the four fives.”

On Sept. 11, 2001, 343 firefighters were among the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives. Firefighter Petrilli rang the bell again on Friday morning to memorialize their loss.

American Airlines Capt. John Ogonowski also died that morning 25 years ago, far from his family farm, wife and three daughters. His farm is just a mile or so from the Jones Avenue station where a twisted piece of World Trade Center steel is now a memorial. 

Ogonowski’s loss and the way the community came together afterward was remembered by the community and the Dracut Fire and Police Departments on Friday morning, as were the sacrifices first responders made on that fateful day, and in the weeks and months that followed. 

The remembrance is an annual tradition of the Dracut Fire Department, but this year on the 25th anniversary of the attacks, the department encouraged community members to attend as well. Approximately 150 people came to pay their respects. Jim Ogonowski — John’s brother — was also in attendance before what he said would be a day spent on the family farm remembering the brother who grew up there with him.

The ceremony included a wreath-laying at the town’s 9-11 Memorial outside the station, a prayer led by Fire Department Chaplain Rev. Larry Zimmerman, and remarks from Fire Chief Michael Cunha. Chief Cunha noted the sacrifice not just of those lost in the attacks, but of those who responded to search the rubble and clean up amid toxic dust that left them with lifelong, and sometimes fatal, health issues. 

Town Manager Kate Hodges, Police Chief Peter Bartlett, Select Board members, Rep. Colleen Garry, and a representative of Sen. Vanna Howard also attended. 

“For many of us, Sept. 11 is a memory. For others, it is something they have only learned about through stories, photographs, and history. We must teach our children who John Ogonowski was. We must remember the firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel, military members and civilians who lost their lives that day,” said Chief Cunha. “This monument is more than a piece of steel. It is a connection between our community and a moment that changed our nation forever. It is a reminder of John Ogonowski. It is a reminder of nearly 3,000 lives lost. It is a reminder of the sacrifices made by first responders, and it is a reminder that courage, compassion, and service can arise from some of the darkest moments. Today, 25 years later, we remember, we honor, and we promise that we will never forget.”