Tribute to New York Firemen

1:56pm Monday 15th October 2001

LEADING fire officers joined more than 3,000 firefighters from across the country at a memorial service to honour their US comrades who died in the attack on the World Trade Centre.

Chief fire officers and representatives of Buckinghamshire Fire Service gathered in St Paul's Cathedral in London to remember the 300 firefighters who died on September 11.

Assistant Divisional Officer Steve Cripps, based at High Wycombe Fire Station, was among 40 chosen to represent Buckinghamshire Fire Service at Thursday's service.

He said: "It was a very well attended and moving service to commemorate the tragic loss of life inflicted upon fellow firefighters."

They joined firefighters from brigades across the UK at the service given by the Reverend Dr John Moses.

Members of London Fire Brigade carried the Union Flag while the Marine Corps showed solidarity with their American counterparts when they carried the Stars and Stripes.

A national conference on mass decontamination was attended by two senior officers from Buckinghamshire organised by the Institute of Fire Engineers at a Colchester centre.

Senior Divisional Officer Peter Culley and Divisional Officer John Kelly, both based at Aylesbury, attended the routine emergency planning meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Martin Muckett, senior divisional officer, said: "The conference had been organised for months and was not in response to the attacks on September 11.

"It was part of our normal emergency planning on how to deal with large chemical spills or radiation.

"It was more relevant in light of the attacks and there was a bigger attendance than normal."

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