Menlo Park Fire Reflects On Grim 9/11 Scene

MENLO PARK, CA — After several weeks at Ground Zero and prior to their departure for home, state representatives presented the California state flag flown over the Capitol in Sacramento on 9/11 to the New York fire commanders at their emergency operations center, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District reported.

The gesture from those within the California Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 3 and state Governor’s Office of Emergency Services was made as a show of solidarity approved by California Gov. Gray Davis.

"It was a difficult and somber moment. You could visibly see and feel the weight of the world on these two veteran FDNY commanders. The loss of 343 firefighters and thousands of people was palpable, overwhelming and very humbling," Menlo Park Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said.

Daniel A. Nigro has been the commissioner of FDNY for five years. He was appointed department head after the death of fire Chief Peter Ganci Jr. in the attacks of 9/11. He retired in 2002, the Peninsula fire district added.

Salvatore Cassano was named chief of operations after 9/11 and was instrumental in rebuilding the FDNY. He was appointed fire chief in 2006 and commissioner in 2009, until stepping down in 2014.

Menlo Park Fire released a video of the solemn Ground Zero site.