Long Island Marks 9/11's 25th Year With Ceremonies, Health Outreach

Fire sirens sounded across Suffolk County Friday morning at the exact moments hijacked planes struck their targets 25 years ago, as communities from the East End to the North Fork joined a nation pausing to remember nearly 3,000 people killed on Sept. 11, 2001.

In Southampton, the local fire department held a structured ceremony at its Hampton Road firehouse timed to each strike. At 8:46 a.m., a 20-second siren marked the moment the North Tower was hit, followed by a moment of silence and a performance of "Amazing Grace" by a member of the Hampton Bagpipes. Southampton Fire Chief Polis Walker and Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger spoke at separate intervals through the program. Additional sirens sounded at 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m., 9:59 a.m., 10:07 a.m. and 10:28 a.m., tracing each moment of impact and collapse through the morning.

In East Hampton, the Town Fire Chiefs Association organized its annual memorial service with local fire departments and first responders. On the North Shore, Riverhead police, EMS crews and firefighters were among the regional first responders honored for having raced to lower Manhattan that day.

At Point Lookout on the South Shore, hundreds gathered at a beachside memorial to mark the anniversary.

Along with the ceremonies, health advocates used the anniversary to press for enrollment in the World Trade Center Health Program, which covers treatment costs for those sickened by exposure to toxic dust and debris. People seeking compensation through related funds must first have their illness certified through the program. Officials noted that children and young adults who were near the attack sites remain significantly underrepresented among enrollees — accounting for roughly 2 percent of those currently in the program.

Gov. Kathy Hochul marked the occasion by signing legislation extending deadlines for 9/11 victims, responders and members of the National Guard to submit documentation to state retirement systems and the workers' compensation board.

National ceremonies at Ground Zero in New York City and the Pentagon drew solemn crowds as well, with memorial events taking place across the country.