HAHIRA —
Hahira residents gathered Tuesday at the city’s remodeled EMS station on Owens Street for a somber 9/11 ceremony and a ribbon cutting to celebrate the station’s improvements.
Hahira Mayor Wayne Bullard and Fire Chief Dwight Bennett offered brief remarks to the crowd, which seemed content standing throughout the duration of the ceremony.
Bennett recalled his 9/11 experiences and his trip to New York City to aid in the aftermath of the terrorist attack.
Bennett said the events of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, made for many restless nights, but he expressed a desire for Americans to stand together once more.
“Everyone was flying flags that day and everyone was an American,” said Bennett. “But now, 11 years later, we are divided again. We need to recapture that same spirit.”
Attendees took a brief tour of the station to observe its $50,000 improvements to the south wing and second floor. The station itself, said Hahira City Manager John Sumner, cost the city a total of $135,000.
The improvements to the fire station now locate the city’s EMS staff and the fire department in the center of town, and allows for better coordination between the two groups of first responders.
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