West Bloomfield Reflects on 9/11: 'I Will Never Forget the Terror We Felt'

Memories of Sept. 11, 2001 are widely shared, but also personally distinct. So are reflections on the enduring impact of that life-altering day a decade ago.

West Bloomfield Patch this week presents diverse perspectives from this area.

'Celebrate each other and our lives'

Marcia Gershenson
County Commissioner

The 9/11 terrorist attacks raised everyone’s awareness about how essential it is to have emergency procedures in place. In our county, we have an emergency radio system so all police and fire departments are able to communicate. We also have a first responder team that coordinates emergency responses by public agencies, nonprofit agencies and businesses.

Many of our communities have local citizen first responder teams that are part of our Oakland County Homeland Security division. If you are interested in participating or being sure your local community has one, please contact me. The goal is to combine resources and have all responders on the same page to react to an emergency.

On a personal level, one of my nephews has a birthday on Sept. 11. He and his is family continue to be reminded to celebrate the value and joy of life each year, and he has a unique perspective on life. I also had nephews and close friends in New York, working near the World Trade Center on 9/11. I will never forget the terror we felt while waiting to hear from them that Tuesday morning. 

We must never forget to celebrate each other and our lives each day.

Marcia Gershenson, elected to the county board in 2004, is serving her fourth term. This July, she attended an executive leadership program at Harvard University. She lives in Franklin and also represents Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms and Southfield Township.