VIDEO: The September 11 terrorist attacks remain the deadliest response for emergency personnel in US History: 343 firefighters lost their lives.
Some survivors live in the Triangle, and they still wrestle with the heartbreaking images and memories 20 years later. "After the second plane hit we realized we were under attack," said Wake Forest Fire Chief Bud Connelly. He was at Ground Zero as a volunteer firefighter for Commack Fire in New York.
"Responding from wherever we responded from, not knowing if the attack is over, and not knowing what we would face when we arrived on scene was a daunting task."
"One of my memories that I can still see and feel was when the second tower fell. The earth in New Jersey shook. It was like an earthquake. I don't think I'll ever forget that," said Vince Cursi, a Lieutenant with Wake Forest Fire who was called to duty that day at Jersey City Fire Department.