Sept. 11 should be a day of gratitude for first responders
After a long hard day at work, I was awakened out of my sleep by a phone call on Sept. 11, 2001.
It was my brother alerting me to turn on the television to observe a plane colliding into the side of a building in New York City. My trained journalistic instincts instantly conveyed this was no accident. Our nation was under attack.
I watched in sleepy horror as people scattered in fear while first responders rushed to the scene to save lives.
As the tower began to collapse, I watched those responders lose their lives along with people they rushed to save. I was more emotionally impacted by scenes of people in a foreign nation celebrating the massive loss of American lives.
It changed me forever. I never looked at first responders the same again. People are quick to tell armed service veterans “Thank you for your service,” and rightfully so. Every person who volunteers to put themselves in harm’s way to protect our nation deserves that respect. But what about those who choose every day to put themselves in the line of danger to answer the call when we dial 911?
This started as a grassroots efforts
My gratitude for their service began small. I pulled together a basket of treats on Sept. 11, 2002, delivering them to a police precinct and fire station No. 25 on Benjamin E. Mays Drive near my childhood home, thanking them for their service on the first anniversary of the attack.
I repeated this over the next few years, serving more fire stations and the police precinct in my southwest Atlanta community. The late City Council member C.T. Martin joined me, contributing financially when he learned I was financing this effort from my own pocket.
The show of gratitude grew from a basket of treats to a full spread of catered foods. The veggie tray was switched to a fruit tray as I cut deals with a local grocer to feed more and more first responders each year.
My mother added home-cooked food and a heartfelt opening prayer for safety. My brother joined me for food deliveries. Silas “Si-Man Baby” Alexander, a media colleague, joined, adding interviews with first responders on his popular radio show. The financial support from him and the councilman allowed me to expand the program to other areas.
When Atlanta police officers Richard Halford and Shawn Smiley were killed in a helicopter crash while searching for a missing child in 2012, Alexander interviewed their colleague on air to talk about the sacrifices made by the two officers. He did the same for the I-85 bridge fire and when Fulton County police detective Terence Green was killed in the line of duty on a domestic call.
The city changed the rules, stating contributions could only go to nonprofits. Despite owning a full-time marketing communications business, I formalized my annual efforts into a structured 501(c)(3), naming the business JV Cares Inc. after my parents James and Victoria — who instilled in me to give back to my community.
Programs keep going despite loss of early supporters
In 2023, I successfully lobbied the state of Georgia to pass House Bill 373 — designating Sept. 11 as a day of recognition for first responders statewide. Oddly enough, the random number assigned to the bill matched the address of my childhood home.
I took that as a heavenly sign of endorsement from my parents. A year later, I launched the Beyond the Call of Duty Awards to honor first responders who go above and beyond what the job requires. Sports teams like the Falcons, Hawks and Braves contributed items to help honor the recipients.
The 9/11 First Responders Appreciation program expanded to include the city of South Fulton, an area I frequented near my southwest Atlanta community. They decided to codify the program making it a permanent part of their budget.
Twenty-five years is a long time to show a commitment to a cause. My partner Silas passed away, along with the councilman, my mother and brother who helped me launch this endeavor.
I now walk this road alone but a lifetime of service to our community is not a burden, but an honor. I wish this program would be adopted statewide by every community and become an annual national budgeted event to honor first responders every Sept. 11.
First responders sign up for a career of putting themselves into the line of danger. The trauma they are regularly exposed to goes home with them every night or, in the case of firefighters, stays with them as they return to a location absent of their families as they are housed at fire stations 24/7.
We should remember and memorialize those who lost their lives in the 2001 attack on our nation. But we should also make an effort to expand the occasion into a “day of recognition” for those who choose to protect us daily. They are our everyday heroes. Our gratitude to say thank you is the least we can do to show appreciation to those who answer the call when we dial 911.
Audraine Jackson owns Jackson Communications, an industry-awarded communications business, and is the founder of J&V Cares Inc., an Atlanta nonprofit that brings joy into the recently bereaved and honors first responders every Sept. 11, including administering the Beyond the Call of Duty Awards.
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