Christine Stuart photo
The September 11 ceremony attended by U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman and local Hartford leaders was sprinkled with the politics of the day. As the Hartford Fire Fighters and Policemen remembered the 5th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, Lieberman seized the opportunity to talk about how the nation’s resolve against the terrorists “must be united.”
“We must not allow ourselves to be divided on the war and on terrorism,” he said. He said five years ago, “radical Islamic terrorists were carrying out their most evil plan that ended the lives of 3,000 American and broke our sense of American security.” He said on this day he’s mixed with emotions “that break my heart and will me with fury.” “I stand in awe of the fire fighters who rushed to the danger,” he said. He said he was honored to “support those who supported us.” But Lieberman said he was also filled with fury because “the perpetrators were able to succeed in their evil intent.” 
Hartford Fire Fighters “We are safer than we were on Sept. 11th, but not as safe as we need to be,” Lieberman said. “On this 5th anniversary we understand our enemy remains out there,” and “they hate us all as Americans.“Before leaving the podium Lieberman touted his work on the First Responder Act he pushed last year with Republican U.S. Senator John McCain. The legislation provides emergency first responders with the radio spectrum, equipment and funding necessary to protect themselves. But Lieberman wasn’t the only one to take a moment to tout his accomplishments. Hartford Council Majority Leader rJo Winch thanked Lieberman for the dollars he was able to secure for the fire fighters and police department in Hartford to build a new public safety complex. She said the fire fighters, “will no longer be hindered by inadequate equipment,” in their response to emergencies. Others like Fire Chief Charles Teale Sr. urged those in attendance to remember and retain the compassion showed to one another following the attacks. He said the fire fighters vowed to remember the losses of the 343 fire fighters and those of all the individuals they attemtped to save. “We remember them daily,” Teale said. 
Fire Chief Charles Teale Sr.
