Imperial Valley College remembers 9-11

IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Imperial Valley College Associated Students hosted a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony.

The event was meant to honor and remember the innocent lives of citizens and first responders whose lives were lost on the day the nation was attacked.  

At the event were the Naval Air Facility of El Centro, El Centro Fire Department, Imperial County Fire Department, and Imperial County Sheriff's Office. 

Over 400 first responders' lives were lost on the day of the attacks. 

“We are still losing those who have acquired disease and sickness due to responding to the incident and those who work on what they call the pile of what was left over after the buildings collapsed that number has exceeded 340 this week and so we are still losing people to those attacks,” said Fire Chief David Lantzer of Imperial County Fire Department.  

Guest speakers at the event were Dr. Lennor Johnson who is the President of Imperial Valley College, Fred Miramontes who is the Coroner/ Marshal at Imperial County Sheriff's Office, and Ensign Scott Torres, Air Traffic Control Facility Officer at the Naval Air Facility of El Centro. 

Many people at the event remembered and shared where they were, what they were doing during the time of the attacks, and how it impacted their lives.  

“We remember those who were lost I got teary-eyed emotional during the speeches just because my husband is a firefighter so I can't even imagine the… the lives of the families who lost their family members during those events," said Yarely Rivera Suamataia, Director of Student Development.