09/12/2026
❤️ Thank You, Moses Lake
Thank you to everyone in our Moses Lake community who took the time to join us at Civic Park today for our 9/11 Memorial Ceremony.
Twenty-five years later, we continue to remember the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the heroes who stepped forward in moments of unimaginable tragedy. We remember not only the events of that day, but also the courage, compassion, and unity that followed.
Fire Chief Perillo brought us back to 9/11/2001: "By the end of that day, everything Americans understood about safety, sacrifice, and service changed forever."
And then he brought us to today: "Today, we remember the men and women who ran toward those buildings while everyone else ran to safety. . . For those of us who wear a public safety uniform, September 11th is not a distant historical event. It is a reminder of why we chose a career in public service. Today brings to light that the risks of this job do not end when the fire is out, or the scene is cleared; that some of the cost of service is paid years later, often quietly, by responders and their families who carry the burden of the emergency long after the cameras and headlines have moved on. It is a reminder of the brotherhood and sisterhood that crosses every department, every city, every state, because on that day, and every day since, this profession has understood that we belong to something larger than our own department, our own city, our own name on a roster."
Police Chief Sands said that actions of police officers and firefighters on 9/11 "weren’t just heroic — they defined the very spirit of public service and what it means to be a first responder."
Chief Sands also reminded us that "Behind every badge is a family — people who love us, support us, and carry the weight of the risks we take without ever taking the oath" and that "even in the darkest of times, the American spirit endures."
