‘We take it, we learn from it’: Pueblo West Fire Chief remembers 9/11
PUEBLO WEST, Colo. (KRDO) - J.J. King was 22 years old and standing in his mother's kitchen when he watched the Twin Towers fall. 22 years later, he's a division fire chief in Pueblo West, ready to respond to the next emergency while he carries on that memory.
However, his connection to the event that marked America with the stain of terrorism runs even deeper — he watched as his godfather responded to that event with courage.
It wasn't until about five years later that he decided to join the ranks as a firefighter in Pueblo West.
"I've always wanted to serve in some way, watching my godfather when I was a little kid, him studying to be a fireman out there, you know, he'd take me to the firehouse all the time and entertain me with the fire trucks," King said.
He started his career as a parks ranger, finally moving into firefighting in his late twenties. His public service comes from a long line of public servants in his family, and he says that was what pushed him to be a first responder of some kind.
"It wasn't until March of 2006, that I heard the Pueblo West was going to be hiring full-time firefighters," King said.
Now, he's the Division Fire Chief, responsible for the development of the firefighters in Pueblo West. He says that the tragedy informs the way he responds to emergencies now.
"I'd say that every tragedy is not in vain when it comes to the fire service or law enforcement, because we take it, we learn from it, and we train for it to happen again," King said.
The event's impact on Station 1 can be seen through the large flag hung at the entrance, listing the names of the 343 first responders who died on 9/11.
