Fire Station 88 to Hold Major 9/11 Memorial Service

The 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2011, will be observed at a major memorial service at at 5501 Sepulveda Blvd. in Sherman Oaks.

The public is invited, and organizers are encouraging Sherman Oaks residents to bring their families to the event, which will honor the nearly 3,000 people who were killed in the attacks 10 years ago.

The 7 p.m. service will be held at the fountain in front of the fire station, which has a 750-pound piece of steel from the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York, and a 100-pound block of limestone from the damaged Pentagon in Washington, DC.

"This is the only place in California that has pieces of debris and rubble from the World Trade Center and the Pentagon," said Carrie Konjoyan, a Sherman Oaks businesswoman who is coordinating the event. "They are sacred artifacts," she said.

Posted on top of the fountain are the words: "Never Forget 9-11-2001."

"Members of the search and rescue team at Fire Station 88 were the first California crew to be called back to assist in the effort at ground zero after the attack," Konjoyan said, adding that some members of the team will be attending the service.

"But this will be a chance for people and families in our neighborhood to remember the heroes and the lives lost on 9/11," Konjoyan said. "People from all over Los Angeles are invited."

Bagpipes will provide the mood, Acting Los Angeles City Fire Chief Brian Cummings will speak, senior police officers and several elected officials will address the crowd.

"There will be more than 3,000 small flags as a reminder of the victims," said Konjoyan.

Every year on the anniversary of the attacks, a ceremony is held at
the fire station. "This Sunday's service will be the largest remembrance they've ever held at Fire Station 88," Konjoyan said.