9/11 Mobile Exhibit visits Alabama
LaFayette Fire Chief instrumental in its arrival
BY JOHN BRICE, THE LAFAYETTE SUN
OPELIKA — First responders from across the area joined together to greet the historic first-ever arrival in Alabama of the Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit at the Interstate 85 welcome center in Lanett on Sept. 10. LaFayette Fire and EMS Chief Jim Doody, who also serves as the president of the East Alabama Regional Training Association, was the lead organizer of the event and was on hand, along with fellow first responders, to welcome the exhibit to Alabama with a convoy to escort it to its destination at the Southern Union State Community College campus in Opelika.
Alabama State Troopers drove patrol cars at the head of the escort with dozens of first responders in vehicles forming the convoy, which traveled southbound on I-85.
“We definitely wanted to give the museum exhibit the honorary welcoming once it crossed over into the Alabama state line,” Doody said. “It took a lot of logistical work to plan the route to make it as simple and painless as possible. The escort was absolutely amazing. We had East Alabama, Lanett and a few other places up on overpasses saluting as the convoy came through, with fire trucks, police cars, ambulances and support vehicles. It has been stellar, it really has. State police, Opelika police — we had support from ALEA from the top brass and down. ALEA did a flyover for us on the 9-11 event.”
Along with emergency vehicles there was a large contingent of motorcycles joining the convoy, which Doody also shared his appreciation of.
“We couldn’t have done it without that support,” he said. “We had three motorcycle groups, we had the Punishers, the Gunners and the Red Knights — East Alabama and Georgia chapters. The Punishers and the Gunners are police motorcycle groups and the Red Knights is a fire department motorcycle group. We probably had about 35 or so motorcycles.”
As the convoy traveled southward down I-85, there were also first responders stationed on overpasses to welcome the mobile exhibit.
“East Alabama had its ladder truck set up; Lanett was there and Beulah had a truck on the second overpass,” Doody said. “The guys were standing on the back of the truck saluting when the escort came through. Everything has gone smoothly.”
Doody said finally getting to see the exhibit reach SUSCC filled him with joy.
“There is no words,” he said. “I started this project back in April of last year. Reaching out to the schools and coordinating with schools that were in the eastern time zone, central time zone, coming in from Sylacauga. We have got a group here from the fire science program in Smiths Station. We have got Beulah here.”
Doody said one of the most rewarding experiences was gathering for supper later the evening of Sept. 10 with the visiting museum guides who are retired New York firefighters that had served at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
“The best moment for me was when we went out to dinner that night with these guys,” Doody said. “We knew we had to get together before the big event the next day. It was like, ‘How are we going to get these guys and where are we going to go.’ Then we said, ‘You know what, let’s just eat at the hotel at the Marriott at Southern Oaks.’ I walked in there and sat down with these guys at the end of the table. The firehouse jokes, the bantering and the picking on each other — we weren’t at Southern Oaks fancy restaurant — we were sitting at a fire station kitchen table. That was so comforting for me, knowing the big event we had planned the next morning.”
