A total of 17 years have passed since 343 firefighters gave their lives in rescue efforts the day the of the 9/11 attacks.

Zanesville Fire Chief Doug Hobson was just starting his career as a firefighter and happened to be off that day watching the events unfold from his living room TV.

Hobson recalls hearing the simultaneous chirping of the locator devices worn by his brothers and sisters in New York, signifying they had gone still, while watching the towers crash down.

“The sorrow that all of a sudden went through everybody — there’s no words to really cover it other than we hear a pack going off now, and that the remembrance of, you know, that day 343 of these went off,” said Hobson.

New Concord firefighter Chris Cocca was just in 2nd grade in 2001, so the meaning of all he saw has changed with age. He remembered seeing his father cry that day, so Cocca knew something bad had happened.

“As I grew, I started to understand more and more about it,” said Cocca. “It made me angry and sad.”

When he became a firefighter, 9/11 took on a whole new meaning.

“There’s a lot of pride and brotherhood in the fire service. Everyone’s one big family,” said Cocca. “When you hear bagpipes play Amazing Grace, you can’t help but shed a tear.”

Cocca said he can’t picture his life without any of his coworkers.

“Now imagine one department losing 343 of their family members,” said Cocca. “It’s hard to imagine.”

Closing in on two decades since the attacks, every Sept. 11 brings back vivid memories to firefighters and those closely connected to that day.

But Chief Hobson has noticed that each year, fewer and fewer seem to recognize the day the way it was immediately after.

“Where are the flags?,” asked Hobson. “Where is that significant item in our life that represents that we’re Americans? And where is that to represent all the lives that were lost on September 11.”

Captain Chas Cosgrave of the Newton Township Fire Department wanted to make sure no one forgets. That’s why he organized a 3-mile walk for local first responders to honor those who lost their lives on Sept. 11.

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Firefighters, officers and medics representing various departments in Muskingum County participated in the walk at the track behind Foxfire High School.

For an impromptu event, Cosgrave was impressed by the turnout and plans on expanding the walk next year.

“We’re all an extended family. Everyone on my department and our surrounding departments, I consider to be my family,” said Cosgrave. “Anytime we can get together and show we support one another, we do and we will.”

While Cocca wasn’t at the walk, his heart was in the same place.

“I feel extremely honored and proud to work in a service that has this kind of relationship,” said Cocca. “When anyone from the fire service says they’ll Never Forget, you best believe they mean it.”