Posted by Bob Logan on Sep 06, 2019
To the members of the Rotary Club of Tucson:
 
 
 
September 11, 2001. 
 
This is a day that none of us will ever forget.  On this day, 18 years ago 2,996 people died (and more than 6,000 were injured) in the attacks on the World Trade Center.  For all of us, it is a day that we will never forget, and just like Pearl Harbor or the assassination of JFK, we all remember where we were that day.  If you were like me, you were glued to your television for days on end as the horrors of that attack played out over and over.
 
This year, by virtue of our calendar, September 11 falls on our regular meeting day and we have decided to honor the many First Responders in the Tucson community.  We will never forget, and to pay them the honor they deserve on behalf of the Rotary Club of Tucson is the least we can do, in my opinion.
 
It will truly be a special meeting.  We have representatives from the Tucson Police Dept, the Tucson Fire Dept., Pima County Sheriff Dept, Davis-Monthan AFB Fire and Security Forces, Oro Valley Police Dept, Marana Police Dept, Rural Metro, and the UA Police Dept.  All told, we hope to have 25+ first responders in attendance.  There will be a white draped chair at each of our Rotary tables so a first responder can sit with Rotarians for lunch.
 
Dan Rowan, Marana Police officer will provide a powerful video message to our meeting.  Officer Rowan was actually a FYND officer on 9/11 and his team responded to the World Trade Center attacks.  10 of his 15 team members died in the attack and Rowan still carries photos of his partners in his pocket today.
 
 
The lineup of Speakers is impressive:
 
*Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus – he will tell a first-person account of being a first responder very early in his career
*Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier – He will discuss the coordination that takes place between agencies in crisis situations
*Tucson Asst Fire Chief Darin Wallentine – He is an expert on the high incidence of cancer in first responders all over the US
*Tucson Asst Fire Chief Laura Baker – She will discuss the recruitment process (especially with women) and Camp Fury
*Davis-Monthan Fire Chief Todd Canale – He will explain how the first responder mission has changed since 9/11
 
As 9/11 relates to Rotary, you may want to take a few moments and watch this attached video.  It is about the Rotary Club of New York (#6 club in the U.S.) and how they responded to the 9/11 attacks.  Ironically, in 2001, the club named Helen B. Reisler as their first woman President in their 92 year history, and it is humbling and amazing at the same time to see the leadership this club took during this crisis.  It makes you proud to be a Rotarian to see first-hand the impact we can have in our communities.  Unfortunately, we may not have enough time to show it on Wednesday during the regular meeting, so here it is for you:
 
 
Please do everything you can to come to this First Responder meeting and please feel free to bring a guest.  It will be a very special opportunity to say thanks to these important people who live their lives in service to us.
 
Yours in Rotary,
 
Bob Logan
President
Rotary Club of Tucson
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