Pasadena Fire Stations to Mark 24th Anniversary of 9/11 With Coordinated Tribute

At 6:50 a.m. on Thursday, September 11, 2025—exactly 24 years after the collapse of the South Tower of the World Trade Center—Pasadena’s eight fire stations will join 41 others in the Verdugo Fire Communications Center system in a synchronized remembrance ceremony.

The observance will begin with fire and police personnel assembled in uniform in front of the stations. At 6:50 a.m., stations will switch to the designated XLC ACCESS radio channel, lower flags to half-staff, and pause for a moment of silence accompanied by bell tones. The timing specifically corresponds to the South Tower’s collapse after 56 minutes of burning, following the impact of United Airlines Flight 175 .

Pasadena City Hall and other government buildings will fly flags at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Thursday.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to recognize September 11, 2025, as Patriot Day. The proclamation directs all County departments to lower flags to half-staff for the day.

“The tragedy of September 11th will remain forever engraved in our hearts and minds,” Barger said in her statement. She urged residents to honor the anniversary by engaging in community service.

The September 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, including 415 emergency service workers. Each year, the Verdugo Fire Communications Center reiterates those numbers during its tribute announcement: “Twenty-four years ago today, America suffered a devastating tragedy…During those attacks, 415 emergency service workers died.”

Former Pasadena Mayor William Paparian, who also serves as a Captain in the California State Guard, has written that “September 11th is fading in our memories, now relegated to a single paragraph in newspaper stories and occasional references on television.”

Paparian also linked remembrance to acts of civic duty, stating, “As we remember, let us also resolve to act—with kindness to our neighbors, support for those who serve our nation in uniform, and a renewed dedication to our country.”