CHICAGO – Chicago sent hundreds of first responders to New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the connection between the fire departments remains strong.

What we know:

As they do every year, the city’s firefighters gathered to remember the fallen.

Firefighters, elected officials and other guests lined up in front of Engine 42, the fire station in River North. 

At 7:46 a.m. Chicago time, they marked the moment when the first of two planes crashed into the World Trade Center.

A bell was rung in sets of five to honor the 343 firefighters lost in New York. Hundreds of Chicago firefighters traveled there to assist with rescue and recovery efforts and to support districts devastated by the loss.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt and several City Council members observed a moment of silence, some recalling where they were on Sept. 11, 2001.

What they’re saying:

Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins, who went to New York as a civilian volunteer, said he was struck by the outpouring of support.

“It is an important part of our history, the people who did that to our country are still there, our enemies still threaten America. We have to be united as a nation to protect ourselves. That is a threat that has really never gone away,” Hopkins said.

Chicago firefighters responded to several emergency calls before and after the ceremony.