Jim Ludden never planned to make firefighting his career, but witnessing the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as a rookie volunteer firefighter cemented his commitment to public service. A quarter of a century later, Ludden serves as the division chief of Community Risk Reduction at the Springfield Fire Department.
Ludden was attending Southwest Baptist University when news coverage of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center was playing in the commons on Sept. 11, 2001. He had joined the Bolivar Fire Department as a volunteer in January of that year simply as a means to pay for his education. But as he answered calls from the fire station, firefighting started to become the natural path forward.
"I fell in love with the impact that we were making
on our community and the love we were able to share every day to people having the worst day of their life," Ludden said. "So, as 9/11 comes along, and you see how tragic those events can be, cataclysmic, you know, who else is going to do that? If not me, then who? And I think that's something that has resonated with me during my career."
Ludden remembers the moments that followed as a pure silence. Cities closed down and air traffic was suspended due to fears about what might be the next target. Even in Missouri, far from Ground Zero, discussions about preparedness were common in the days, weeks and months that followed.
Looking back 25 years after the event, Ludden said the field of firefighting has become better. Some of the most important improvements made after the tragedy, as a result of the 9/11 Commission, have been for interagency cooperation and communication. Now, he said, emergency response is a more interconnected and shared web between firefighters, police, EMS and other agencies.
Ludden also noted that through the 9/11 Commission, grant funds have become available particularly to support smaller fire departments with fewer resources to ensure they have the equipment and training needed to meet modern safety standards.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 9/11 cemented Springfield firefighter's career in public service
