Collin College pays tribute to fallen first responders with 9/11 memorial

Collin College is paying tribute to the first responders who died responding to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center with a memorial located at the Public Safety Training Center in McKinney, according to a press release from Collin College.

The memorial was revealed during a Sept. 10 ceremony.

The details

Artists Danny Jackson and Kollin Zomnir designed the sculpture and included a 16x16-inch piece of steel that was recovered from the World Trade Center after the attack. The recovered steel piece was gifted to the college by New York Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro following a request by a representative of the college, the release stated. The request cited information about the work Collin College officials do to help train first responders entering the field.

The plaque reads “This piece of steel from the Twin Towers stands as a permanent reminder of September 11, 2001, a day that changed our lives forever.”

Quote of note

“This memorial stands as a reminder that, even in our darkest hours, we have heroes willing to give their all to help others,” Collin College District President Neil Matkin said in the release.

Get involved

The sculpture is located in the lobby of Collin College's Public Safety Training Center at 3600 Redbud Blvd., McKinney, where the college conducts its law enforcement and fire science academies. It is available for public viewing during business hours.

For more information about the Public Safety Training Center, visit www.collin.edu/campuses/pstc.