Pahrump fire chief reflects on 9/11 terrorist attacks

Exactly 23 years ago today, Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services Chief and Emergency Services Director Scott Lewis was a first responder with a fire department in New Jersey.

Lewis and his colleagues obviously could not foresee the events that unfolded on that Tuesday morning when the acts of 19 men driven by religious extremism claimed the lives of more than 2,900 individuals after highjacking four commercial airliners and flying them into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a rural Pennsylvania field.

Initial reports

“I was at work, and much like everyone else, we started getting the notifications and started watching it on TV,” Lewis recalled to the Pahrump Valley Times. “We were in disbelief at what we were observing.”

Assistance sought

Lewis went on to say that New Jersey medical crews were summoned for emergency medical services.

“They actually called us for a heavy rescue assignment, but we never made it that far because they determined it was not that kind of assignment,” Lewis said. “It was more of a heavy equipment assignment so we never made it up there. One of the things that was most interesting is how the FAA had to clear the skies afterward and bring the planes down. There was still a plane that was unaccounted for, that unfortunately crashed in Pennsylvania. I will tell you that the emergency services throughout the Northeast were readied and they responded as necessary to whatever they were facing.”

In disbelief

Lewis noted that initially, he and crews were not sure what to make of the situation while watching the footage of the terrorist attacks.

“Nobody really knew what to think with the first plane, but with the second plane, it became readily apparent that there was something much larger going on with the breakaway coverage to the president, who was in Florida at the time,” he said. “Everything became readily apparent that this was a much larger incident than simply a crash of a large airliner. This was an attack, especially with the unaccounted-for planes, coupled together.”

A solemn memorial

Lewis also spoke to the Pahrump Valley Times about a somber symbol of the attack which is now considered a memorial displayed at Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Services Station 1 on Basin Avenue.

That symbol is a steel beam from one of the towers.

“Our former union president, Tim Murray, applied for it and received it,” Lewis said. “It was donated to the department as part of a memorial within our facility because we have friends who are from FDNY, so it was our piece as a memorial, in addition to our tower ladder apparatus that was documented to be at both World Trade Center events. All of those coupled together, was a really nice addition to our station, and we still have it at Station One as soon as you walk through the main doors. it’s right off to the side.”

All said and done

The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks killed 2,977 people, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in American history.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com or on X: @pvtimes