Ride to remember for local firefighters

It's an experience four Kelowna firefighters will never forget.

Photo: Contributed - Tim Light

On the tenth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, Platoon Captain Tim Light and firefighters Al Lipkovits, Ken Jacobson and Kyle Jacobson rode in an over 22-mile-long motorcycle convoy the FDNY Fallen Firefighter Memorial.

The terrorist attacks claimed the lives of 343 firefighters and on Sunday morning, over 3,700 firefighters from every state and province in North America rode from Newburgh, New York, to the memorial in New York City.

"You can imagine, we're on a freeway and the procession is a little over three miles long. And on every overpass there's a fire truck - and if its an aerial truck, it's hanging a giant American flag," says Light.

Light says that emotions that had been building on the cross country journey peaked during the final stretch to New York City.

"You have to understand that on September 11, I lost part of my family. I lost 343 of them, and it is heartbreaking."

Light says the local firefighters were touched by the show of support.

"There were a lot of tears. This is the department that lost these guys. They know that the men and women they lost would be proud to know that the firefighters from North America could come together like this and honour them on the day that they were murdered. ."

But the ride also provided a sense of purpose for the future, says Light.

"I go on and do my job and do it so they'd be proud of me. in order to honour somebody you live better -- and that is what we try and do."