The call for help is risky business. We don’t know what awaits. But for these people, it is a risk worth taking, knowing that a life could be saved. On 9/11, those first responders took the risk to save lives.
Apry’a Outlaw wasn’t even born on September 11, 2001, when terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, in Virginia.
Yet 23 years later — and 20 years after she was born – she stood at attention at Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Oak Creek Campus in honor of the 2,977 people – including 432 first responders – killed in the deadliest terrorist attacks in American history.
“I am so very grateful for those who have served before me,” said Outlaw, who is in her second year as a Milwaukee Fire Department cadet. “This inspires me. It gives me the courage to do what needs to be done because I have seen the sacrifices people who came before me have made.”
Outlaw and her cadet classmates, along with representatives of area police and fire departments, and MATC faculty, staff and students, paid tribute to those sacrifices on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the 23rd anniversary of the attacks.
A fire engine used by the college for training flew the American flag from its extended ladder. Red, white and blue placards bearing the names of the firefighters, police officers and emergency medical personnel who died in the attacks graced the grass of the cafeteria patio where the ceremony was held. Milwaukee vocal artist William Toney sang the national anthem and a lone bagpiper from the Milwaukee Pipes and Drums played “Amazing Grace.” A video saluted the selfless spirit of those who gave their lives that day.
“Today we stand united, to honor the countless acts of bravery and kindness,” said Janell Jones, associate dean of MATC’s Community and Human Services Pathway, which includes fire, criminal justice and emergency services programs. “This is also a celebration of resilience. Hopefully, this will serve as a beacon of hope and a reminder of strength within all of us.”
Dr. Andrew Cahoun, a U.S. Navy chaplain, was at a naval base in Little Creek, Virginia, when the attacks occurred in 2001. He quickly put on his battle gear. “Helicopters were in the sky, sirens were going off, tanks were rolling,” he recalled. “We were ready.”
As a chaplain, he was tasked with providing emotional and psychological support to first responders who rushed into the havoc, without regard for their personal safety.
“The call for help is risky business,” he told the crowd. “We don’t know what awaits. But for these people, it is a risk worth taking, knowing that a life could be saved. On 9/11, those first responders took the risk to save lives.”
When the city fire department visited Milwaukee Public Schools’ Hamilton High School during her senior year, Outlaw signed up for the two-year cadet program. She takes training classes at the city’s Fire Academy and paramedic courses at MATC’s Oak Creek Campus. Next August she will become a fire recruit and, 16 weeks after that, a full-fledged firefighter.
Outlaw said her call to duty came from her father, who served in the U.S. Army. “That dedication came right from his heart into mine,” she said. “I know this is what I want to do. I’m ready to serve.”
Outlaw was one of two dozen police, fire and emergency services students at the ceremony, dressed in their blue and red service shirts emblazoned with their branch of service. In his remarks, Dr. Cahoun implored them to serve with purpose, honor and awareness.
“As the eternal question asks,” Dr. Cahoun said, “What are you doing for others?”
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About MATC: As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
