Former NY Firefighter To Speak At Morris Co.’s 9/11 Ceremony In Parsippany

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Morris County’s Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony will return to Parsippany this year, and a special guest speaker will be in attendance.

The event will be held on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Morris County 9/11 Memorial located at 460 West Hanover Avenue in Parsippany.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Rudy Sanfilippo, a former New York Firefighter and FDNY Union Trustee during the attacks 24 years ago. Sanfilippo was one of the first to arrive at the South Tower and one of the last to leave as it came crashing down.

“When Sanfilippo emerged, he was the only firefighter within a 50-foot radius to walk out alive,” a county statement read. “In the aftermath, he coordinated support for firefighters and their families, ensuring a respectful recovery process at Ground Zero.”

Also attending the ceremony will be the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, Sen. Anthony M. Bucco, County Sheriff James M. Gannon, and more public officials.

The ceremony will feature a procession of police, fire, and EMS personnel, a candle lighting, an invocation by Rev. Herman Scott of Calvary Baptist Church, and, of course, the annual reading of names of the 64 Morris County residents lost in the attacks.

Guests can also expect music from the Police Pipes and Drums of Morris County, the Morris Choral Society, and the musical duet, Darren O’Neill and Ereni Sevasti, organizers said.

“The Morris County 9/11 Memorial honors the nearly 3,000 people killed when jihadist terrorists crashed jetliners in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, PA,” a statement read. “Special recognition is given to the 64 Morris County residents who perished that day. All victims’ names are engraved on ruby-colored stones surrounding the memorial, with brass plaques for each Morris County resident atop the inner wall.”

Parking will be available at the Morris County Department of Human Services, 340 West Hanover Ave., Morris Township, with a shuttle service that can take visitors to the memorial.

Visitors are also encouraged to bring lawn chairs, as seating will be limited at the event.