9/11 memorial events in Las Vegas to feature ‘tolling of the bells’

The Las Vegas Fire Department will hold its 20th remembrance ceremony Saturday to honor those killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

It will include a “tolling of the bells,” a tradition in fire service to honor those killed in the line of duty, according to a statement from the Fire Department.

The event will be at Las Vegas Fire Station Five, 1020 Hinson St., and will start at 6:45 a.m., the approximate time the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed during the attack 20 years ago.

The tolling of the bells tradition comes from the time before radio communication, when alarm boxes on street corners acted as modern fire alarms. When someone pulled the alarm in the box, it would trigger bells in fire stations to alert firefighters where to go.

If a firefighter was killed in the line of duty, dispatchers would ring the bell three times in sets of five.

During Saturday’s ceremony, retired New York City firefighter Frank Pizarro will sing the national anthem. Pizarro, who is now a Las Vegas resident, came into work while off duty to help respond to the World Trade Center attack. He remained at the scene to work for days in a row.

Following the remembrance ceremony, a seedling from the Survivor Tree will be planted at Police Memorial Park, 3250 Metro Academy Way, in another ceremony set to begin at 11 a.m.

The ornamental pear tree was recovered from the site of the 9/11 attacks and was nursed back to health. In 2013, a seedling distribution program was launched to share the symbols of resiliency and hope.

Las Vegas was selected for the program after the Route 91 Harvest festival attack, which occurred on Oct. 1, 2017. The city received two seedlings, and the other already has been planted at Fire Station Five, according to the Fire Department.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.