The firefighters climbing the stairs, the police officers clearing the streets, the emergency medical personnel tending to the wounded. The stories of 9/11 continue to inspire us.
Vincente Key was three years old on September 11, 2001, when terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, in Virginia.
He doesn’t remember much about that day.
“I recall my mother frantically trying to get us over to my grandmother’s house,” said Key, who grew up on Milwaukee’s south side and graduated from Milwaukee High School for the Arts. “I was so young.”
Today, Key is in Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Paramedic Technician program and knows all about the deadly attacks that killed 2,977 people. He knows all about the selflessness of the first responders who charged into the rubble, smoke, dust and confusion to save lives.
“The firefighters climbing the stairs, the police officers clearing the streets, the emergency medical personnel tending to the wounded,” Key said. “The stories of 9/11 continue to inspire us.”
On Thursday, September 11, 2025, Key was among the MATC students, faculty and staff who gathered at the college’s Oak Creek Campus to remember that day 24 years ago and to honor the people who died, especially the 343 firefighters, 72 police officers, and eight emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
“These first responders stepped up when their nation needed them most,” George Papachristou, a chaplain with the Milwaukee Police Department, told the crowd at Oak Creek’s cafeteria patio.
Under warm September sunshine, a fire engine used by MATC for training flew a large American flag from its extended ladder. Red, white and blue placards bearing the names of the firefighters, police officers and emergency medical personnel killed in the attacks graced the grass near the patio.
The flag colors were presented by the Oak Creek Fire Department Honor Guard, Bryanna Hatch sang the national anthem and Steve Keith played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes. A video saluted the selfless spirit of those who gave their lives that day.
On that day in 2001, MATC President Anthony Cruz was arriving at this job as a financial advisor in Miami, Florida. The stock market never opened that day and stayed closed for several weeks, he recalled.
“It was a tragic day in American history,” Dr. Cruz said. “We have vowed never to forget. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all of our regional first responders.”
Students in MATC’s Protective Services programs — Fire Service, Criminal Justice Studies and Emergency Medical Services — stood at attention throughout most of the ceremony.
People who want to be first responders have a special calling, Papachristou said, a unique DNA and inner drive. “Clear heads and fearless hearts are demanded of all first responders,” he said. “These are the public servants who will face great dangers, work long hours, spend time away from their families and run toward danger to save others.”
Key is ready to be one of them. After graduating from high school, he earned an associate degree in Business Management from MATC and worked as a dispatcher at a trucking company. But he felt he needed to do more.
“I didn’t like sitting at a desk,” Key said. “I wanted to contribute to my community.”
While he was training for a marathon, a friend of his suggested he enroll in MATC’s Fire Protection Technician program. He earned his Emergency Medical Technician certification and got a job at Bell Ambulance.
Now Bell is sponsoring him to become a paramedic. He attends classes three days a week at MATC and is scheduled to graduate in May 2026. He has been chosen president of his cohort and delivered remarks on Thursday afternoon.
“We are preparing to be there for people in their darkest moments,” Key told the crowd. “One day our skills will make the difference between life and death for someone in our community. And we will be ready thanks to the skills we’re learning at MATC.”
Find out more about MATC’s Protective Services programs
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.