OC Firefighters Receive Steel Beam From World Trade Center
IRVINE (CBS) — A piece of American history is now at rest in Orange County.
A 1,400-pound square piece of a steel beam from World Trade Center 1 arrived on Tuesday at the Orange County Fire Authority in honor of men and women from the OCFA who rushed to aid their fellow firefighters as the towers collapsed on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
KNX 1070's Ron Kilgore reports the arrival comes after fire officials spent nearly two years cutting through bureaucratic red tape.
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The artifact — which measures 6 feet long by 15 inches by 30 inches and weighs 1,358 pounds — has been in transit from the Port Authority hangar at JFK Airport in New York to OCFA since last week.
Captain Kevin Tuohy said the artifact is especially meaningful as the nation nears the tenth anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
"It's a remembrance of what happened that day, and it's a remembrance of what our brothers back east went through, and it's a symbol of the friendships we formed with them," said Tuohy.
Nearly 3,000 Americans and 343 FDNY members were killed in the attack.
The beam will eventually put on special display at OCFA headquarters for public viewing.
