Due to the poor air quality from the Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside Counties and the Line Fire in San Bernardino County, the City of Canyon Lake canceled its community 9/11 Remembrance event and opted to observe 9/11 in a private ceremony.
On the morning of September 11, fire department personnel, city staff, and the POA president gathered at the fire station to honor the victims of 9/11.
During the brief ceremony, Fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse delivered a poignant speech and Acting Captain Chico Sanchez gave the invocation.
Engineer Paramedic Nate Garcia explained the significance of the city’s 9/11 Memorial Bell and Firefighter Engineer Ryan Moore rang the bell in honor of the victims.
Mayor Dale Welty led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Mayor Pro Tem Mark Terry delivered a heartfelt speech emphasizing the importance of never forgetting the events of 9/11.
The ceremony also included a rededication of the flagpole and a new commemorative plaque honoring Thomas Hannafin, one of the fallen 9/11 heroes who was related to a Canyon Lake resident.
In 2003, a tangelo tree was planted on the side of the station in honor of Hannafin. When the tree died, the plaque displayed with the tree was relocated to the flagpole. Over time, the plaque became damaged. The Canyon Lake Firefighters Association will be planting a tangelo tree next to the flagpole at a later date.
In addition to the new plaque for the flagpole, the department purchased a larger plaque for the station, which hangs in the dayroom and serves as a lasting reminder of his ultimate sacrifice and the tragic events of 9/11.
