Firefighters- Stand Up and Be Counted!

LACoFD firefighter| Ride for 9-11

Stand up and be counted and have the balls to answer your phones or emails and tell me why we should not respond to an FDNY firefighters request to not be forgotten...

LAFD Task Force Firefighter Berkery was shaking the hands of the FDNY firefighters he had worked alongside at Ground Zero in late September of 2001, when one grabbed his hand tightly--looked him straight in the eyes--and said, "PLEASE DON'T FORGET US."

I heard this story from my LAFD brother while visiting the local Starbucks. Those 4 words led me to take action and respond to the FDNY's firefighters request. I would make a special 9/11 tribute uniform patch and would try and get it on all firefighters uniforms across the U.S. This would be about honoring and remembering our lost 343 brothers--and it would be about taking on the world's largest effort to unite firefighters after the worst attack on the American Homeland in over 50 years.

I have lived the great loss of our brothers on 9/11/01 every day for over 11 years now. I can't forget as it has become my job to make sure others don't forget them. It has taken its toll on myself and my family but yes I realize...it is not about me!

And then firefighters from other countries began wearing the patch as if to say, it's our loss too. Even our deployed U.S. Military personnel began wearing the patch in solidarity with U.S. firefighters when the patch was introduced from a Navy SEAL Team 1 member while deployed in Afghanistan, in March of 2002.

Even with 10,000 organizations represented in as many as 30 countries, the patch and the idea, "WE WILL NEVER FORGET," is slowly dieing. It's as if fire departments in the U.S. and abroad are now saying, we will never forget for awhile...and then move on. It absolutely disgusts me to learn that some fire officials out there are actually making their members remove the patch--telling them it is time to move on.

Twice in 10 years, special mailers were sent to every fire department in the U.S. or approximately 40,000. There were not donations to pay the $15,000 for each mailing--it was my personal money and I had no business using it--especially after learning more that 75% of these mailers were not taken seriously and just thrown in the trash. WHAT? Yes, issues like this is not an approved nomex thread patch, or this is not an official request from a higher authority, or someone's probably just capitalizing on the opportunity to make money off the blood of dead firefighters.

As a former fire union president, I even mailed directly to other union presidents and got the poo-poo. What the hell? What happened to the so called brotherhood? Why did some departments come on board without question and others would not? Arrogance, ignorance, or even more prevalent in today's society of firefighters, skepticism! Are there other efforts out there to do the same? Should we choose from different vendors who may be offering a like-patch? Do we get three bids? Geeezzzeee! Even worse to be ignored by "brother" firefighters out there. What the HELL?

Here's the dope brother firefighters: There is no other national or international effort to get a 9/11

FDNY Ladder 163 Firefighters wearing 9/11 patch

Memorial or Tribute Patch added to the uniform. Stand up and be counted and have the balls to answer your phones or emails and tell me why we should not respond to an FDNY firefighters request to not be forgotten. Man up or hide behind your fricken email. Tell me why this does not make sense or why your organization has decided not to participate....just tell me something!

Even one of the largest unions in the USA took forever to get back to me when I asked for their support. The same union (IAFF) that I served as a local president for. When they did, there were those typical conditions; get both FDNY unions on board and we'll consider it. Knowing that most likely they would not support anything merchandise related with a 9/11 theme, I still received the endorsement and support from the FDNY's Uniformed Fire Officers Association, unanimously! The other larger firefighter union, who by the way benefited from the sale of patches to the tune of nearly $20,000, said we can not change our earlier position. Still with the one union on board, the IAFF simply vanished and refused to return my emails.

Let's talk about money. Short of the first 6 months of this effort in 2002, the sale or patches and decals has not been a great fund raiser. When you have one or two patches sold at a time and need to order 100 minimums to get better pricing, all you do is chase the inventory. Sometimes it takes nearly a month to sell 100 patches. That is not what the project is all about--these aren't souvenirs! So the project recently returned to its roots and its all about the team coming on board or no one.

What? You can't approve the patch for the uniform? Then get it on your jacket--your job-shirt--your turnout coat....stand up and be counted or sit down and ignore something that is part of your history of firefighting. Opt out and let your new firefighters learn about 9/11 once a year when you are forced to dress up and have your little obligatory ceremony in front of City Hall. I'm sure your brother firefighters in the FDNY will appreciate your yearly support!

After the 5 year mark of 9/11, I even introduced a patch with a firefighter, police officer and U.S. solider on it. People did not understand this was an effort from a firefighter to remember the loss of 343 brother firefighters so I expanded the project not because of pressure from police and other 1st responders, but because it felt like the right thing to do. Still, the comments from EMT's, construction workers and civilian family members came in chastising me for forgetting them. You can't make everyone satisfied no matter what you do...but I sure tried!

My closing thoughts (if you got this far):  If you haven't figured it out by now, yes I am bitter. I am bitter towards my so called brother firefighters and especially, those who have totally ignored me for years. It is NOT about me and never will be. It is about our duty and call to remember. It is about wearing our hearts on our sleeves and sharing common threads. Finally, it is about one FDNY firefighters simple request that continues to be ignored by thousands of firefighters who would call themselves brothers! There is still much work to do...will you ever be on board? Stand up and be counted here: 9/11 Patches

Become a 9/11 Patch Project LifeTime Sponsor

The 9/11 Patch Project would like to invite your organization to become our Lifetime Sponsor. Our non-profit effort to remember the heroes of 9/11 could really use your help—and we can provide some great visibility for your company/organization in return!

*Our Sponsors will greatly benefit this April 18th thru the 21st when we are on exhibit at this years FDIC-2012. This is the largest firefighting event in the world with as many as 30,000 visitors passing by our booth. See us listed as an exhibitor HERE. We are also great friends with the event entertainment which will bring more attention to our booth and the 9/11 Patch Project. Learn more about Adam Ferrara HERE. The deadline for submitting your sponsor payment and high resolution logo to be included in the FDIC event is April 1st, 2012.

Here is what the Sponsor page looks like. Our current sponsors are: Northrop Grumman, Chicago Firefighters, Rockford Firefighters, Philadelphia Firefighters, Beverly Hills Firefighters, Baltimore Firefighters, Auto Medic of Seattle, HazSim, Rapid Deployment Products, ID Safety 24 on 7 and Hire Patriots-Connecticut.

Here are some of the advantages of our sponsorship program.

• Exposure to your organization from 10′s of thousands of monthly visitors on our website

• Inclusion of your logo and link in our weekly newsletters’ 4000 subscribers

• Display of your logo on our booth banner at various events with a display of your handouts

• Radio and TV exposure of your organization from various interviews we do

• Mention of your organization in our press releases and other print media

Your Sponsor donation helps the project stay open and enables us to continue raising funds for the NYC Bravest Scholarship Fund, the Terry Farrell Fund and the Feal Good Foundation. Please follow this link  to secure your Sponsorship, send us your banner and web link via EMAIL and we will get it done within 12 hours. (If you do not have a banner, we can make one for you–just let us know) Questions? Call Brett Hill at             661-305-7476      

A Navy SEAL Honoring the Lost Heroes of 9/11

This photo is of a Navy SEAL from Team-1, taken somewhere in Afghanistan, in early 2002. Even though it was nearly 10 years ago, his face is not being shown for safety and security reasons. Those in the military will know it is authentic by the weaponry and how he is suited up. You'll notice on his right sleeve, he is wearing the Original 9/11 Patch. He made the decision to wear this patch in honor of the 1st Responders lost on 9/11.

This SEAL's actions contributed to thousands of other deployed soldiers in both Iraq & Afghanistan to wear the patch in unity with their Fire, Police & EMS brothers back home. There are some great Photo's on the website that show other U.S. Military personnel wearing the patches.

I met this SEAL about 4 years later when another Southern California Firefighter surprised me by showing up at my house with him one day.

Jacket given to Hill from Navy SEAL

In my 10 year history of running the 9/11 Patch Project, it is the other moment in time that rises above all. I was even more surprised when he handed me a special jacket that he had made for me while deployed in Afghanistan. On the right sleeve, was the insignia of the Team (Hotel Company) just below the 9/11 Patch, that he had also had sewn on. On the back of the jacket, was an incredible embroidered piece that took up the entire back of the jacket. The scene was a map of Afghanistan and about the Enduring Freedom Operation where they, alongside British Special Forces, ousted the Taliban regime from power in Kabul and most of Afghanistan in a matter of weeks.

Ten years later, people still ask me why after suffering such a significant personal financial loss, I still continue the project. They wonder how I can even keep it going when orders are just trickling in. I tell them about this memorable event in the project's history, and I tell them it is about a promise to the heroes of 9/11 to NEVER FORGET. For me, as tough as it is at times to continue to breath life into this project, it is about the families of the lost heroes that have to go on with their lives--without their husbands, fathers & sons. While many in our great nation have moved on, I feel it is my duty to continue the work of the project to insure the memory of their ultimate sacrifice lives on.

If you believe in the project and would like to see it stay open, there are a number of ways you can help. The website is http://9-11patchproject.org and you will see where their are opportunities to purchase the patches & decals, add your name to the 9/11 WALL, make a donation or even apply for the Capital One 9/11 cards. Any level of support would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to those out there who have supported this project the past 10 years and allowed me to continue doing what I feel I was called to do!

"Please Don't Forget Us"

FDNY with the 9/11 Patch Project Bus Tour

You've all heard the story about how the 9/11 Patch Project began, many times...but I believe it is worth repeating. The four words, "Please Don't Forget Us," were spoken to a LAFD Firefighter from an FDNY Firefighter as they were parting their ways in late September of 2001. I heard these words from my Firefighter friend, shortly after he returned home from his Task Force deployment at Ground Zero. My response was creating the 9/11 Patch Project. Getting a 9/11 Tribute Patch on all uniforms has been the project's quest these past 10 years along with raising much needed funds for 9/11 related non-profits.

The project gets 90% of it's funding though the sale of the 9/11 Patches, Decals, Pins and other fund raising items. Occasionally, there is a donation made via the 9/11 WALL or on our Donation Page, which also helps to keep this project afloat.

There has not been enough funds coming into the project since last September, when we made nearly $20,000 in donations to the NYC Bravest Scholarship Fund, the Terry Farrell Fund and the Feal Good Foundation. Many orders and some donations allowed us to accomplish this.

Today, orders are trickling in and donations are rare. We need your help. If you feel the project should continue then please consider helping out in any of the following ways:

1. Order your 9/11 Patches & Decals HERE


2. Become a Sponsor for only $91.10 and get your website banner and link on our site HERE


3. Get your name or organization on the 9/11 WALL for only $9.11 HERE

4. Or make any size donation HERE

Thanks for what you are willing or able to do to insure we continue doing the great work of the 9/11 Patch Project for at least another 10 years!

Bringing Hero Home

20/20 had a great segment this past Friday called, "Bringing Hero Home," a very touching story about a soldier killed in the line of duty and how they were able to bring a dog he cared for over in Iraq, back home. His father can be seen here wearing the blue t-shirt with one of the 9/11 Patch Project designs on it.

Seeing this story Friday night along with the 9/11 Patch Project design on the fathers t-shirt, reminded me how our U.S. Soldiers began participating in the 9/11 Patch Project back in 2002.

Many of our deployed troops have been wearing one of the 9/11 Patches since March of 2002 when a Navy Pilot and Navy SEAL introduced them while deployed in Afghanistan. The soldiers wanted to wear them alongside U.S. Fire and Police personnel as a sign of unity. LTJG Everett Alcorn can be seen wearing one of the 9/11 Patches in this photo, flying a mission somewhere over the waters of Afghanistan. Alcorn was assigned to the Helicopter Combat Support Group- HC6. He bought 200 patches and handed them out to his fellow pilots stationed on his Air Craft Carrier.

Shortly after Alcorn brought the 9/11 Patches to his fellow soldiers, a Navy SEAL from Team 1 Hotel Company, added the 9/11 Patch to his military issues. A San Gabriel Firefighter, who participated in the project back in 2002, was good friends with the SEAL and sent him the patches.

Over the years, the 9/11 Patches have become very popular gifts for soldiers deployed overseas. Like the dog in the story, soldiers are always looking for things to increase their morale. To order the patch that can be seen in the photo at the top, click HERE to get a huge discount. To order a t-shirt with the patch design on it, click HERE.

The 9/11 Patch Project Lives On!

FDNY Fire & Ice Hockey Team Wearing 9/11 Patch

The 10 Year mark of 9/11 has passed but the goal of helping the world remember the heroes of 9/11 lives on.

It was the words of an FDNY Firefighter, "Please Don't Forget Us," that began the project back in December of 2011 and nearly 10 years later, those words still resonate in the ears of project founder Brett Hill.

Why continue to wear the 9/11 Patches or display the 9/11 Decals, even after 10 years? Because NEVER FORGET means NEVER! The words are inscribed on each patch and meant to mean what they say. It's pointless to run this project for 10 years and then move on. We can move on from the horrible images of the day but let's not move on from the memory of what our heroes did that day.

U.S. NAVY SEAL

Some have diminished the value of a simple patch or decal but the truth is, these patches have found their way completely around the world. They are seen on the shoulders of firefighters in 21 different countries and on the shoulders of thousands, from all  U.S. Military branches. These patches have brought about something positive as a result of something so tragic. They have crossed our borders, ignored politics and disregarded cultural differences. They unite people, help them honor the memory of our lost heroes and honor their professions.

Being able to donate the net proceeds from the sale of these patches and decals is another very important part of this project. The FDNY Bravest Scholarship Fund, the Terry Fund and the Feal Good Foundation are all important to the 9/11 Patch Project and will continue to receive funds. To see the latest donations and letters, follow this LINK


One of the main goals of the project is to continue getting the patches on uniforms across the U.S. as a permanent part of the uniform. We all have different patches that identify our unique organizations, the 9/11 Patches are the common threads that unite us all.

Lest we NEVER FORGET!

9/11 Bus Tour's Fund Raising Efforts Across America

Three weeks left on the 10 Yr 9/11 Manhattan to Manhattan Tour and we need your help! Fund raising across the U.S. in this economy and with all the recent mid west disasters, has been a tough one. We understand and that's why fund raising with the 9/11 Patch Project actually gives you back something tangible for your donation. Please look at how you can help us reach our donation goals by participating in one or more of the following:

• Get your name on our supporters' 9/11 WALL for only $9.11
• Get your name or organization's name in the reflective stripe that surrounds the 9/11 Bus for only $100.
• Get a 12" enlarged logo of your organization on this bus for $911.11.
• Purchase any of our fund raising 9/11 Patches, Decals, Pins or Flags (all net proceeds donated)
• Forward this news letter on to everyone you possibly can!

All the net proceeds from the list above, will go to:

-FDNY BRAVEST SCHOLARSHIP FUND
-TERRY FARRELL FUND
-FEAL GOOD FOUNDATION

Thanks very much for anything you are willing to do on behalf of our fund raising efforts.

Brett Hill- Founder/ Former Firefighter-Paramedic
9/11 Patch Project

Got Bus—A Uniform Patch—And 20 thousand Miles of Open Road

The 40-ton bus is on fire! It barrels down the open highway but no smoke can be seen billowing from its monstrous orange-red body. Look a little closer and you’ll see that it is actually wrapped with photographed fire scenes—well known structure fires that have occurred over the years in major U.S. cities. On the side of the bus in gigantic letters is the URL, FIRECAREERS.COM. look in your rear view mirror as you see the bus gaining on you and you’ll see a giant American Flag on the hood. It’s not an ordinary flag—it’s the iconic image of the 9/11 We Will Never Forget patch. Towards the bottom of the graphic you’ll see the WTC skyline with the silhouette of a firefighter holding an axe—rising above the Twin Towers. Just over the head of the firefighter is the date September 11, 2001. And at the bottom of the gold-bordered design, are the words WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

The bus is driven by retired Fire Captain Craig Freeman with his wife, Pam, navigating and constantly communicating with those hosting the next tour stop of the 10 Year 9/11 Manhattan to Manhattan Tour—a tour that left Manhattan Beach Fire Department in California with the goal of reaching Manhattan, New York, before 9/11/11. The tour is a joint effort with the 9/11 Patch Project to spread awareness of the 10 Year mark of 9/11 and raise donations through the sale of the 9/11 patches, decals, pins and flags. The fund raising mission will benefit the FDNY Bravest Scholarship Fund, Terry Farrell Fund and the Feal Good Foundation—all New York based non-profits.

Three months prior to the FareCareers.com departure Craig met up with Brett Hill, founder of the 9/11 Patch Project, who was in a bit of a quandary. Brett had really wanted to host the West Coast 9/11/11 event but couldn’t find a venue or enough supporters to raise the 10’s of thousands necessary to make this happen. With Craig taking his company on the road for 9 months, it made sense to combine efforts and take the 10 Year Anniversary of 9/11 to communities across the nation. With the future of their company at risk, Craig and Pam still offered to make it happen.

The 9/11 Patch Project—is a project created 3 months after 9/11 with the goals of manufacturing and distributing special 9/11 uniform tribute patches for all Fire, Emt, Police and U.S. Military uniforms. The project was also designed to raise funds for the families of those lost on 9/11 and create unity among all emergency and military personnel. Over the past 9 years, the project grew to involve the participation of over 7,000 organizations in 22 countries. The 9/11 Patches can be seen on thousands of U.S. Firefighter uniforms, on the uniforms of foreign firefighters and on 1000’s of deployed U.S. troop military clothing—including our U.S. Navy SEAL’s.

“Don’t miss the bus,” has become the tour’s special saying as they roll though one horse towns, major cities and critical weather impacted areas. Space on the both sides of the bus enables people, companies and organizations to ride along with the tour. Getting their 1 foot enlarged logos and 2” lettering on the side of the bus gives advertisers/sponsors high visibility while helping fund the 20,000 mile journey with an average fuel cost of $1 per mile.

What makes this journey suddenly more incredible for Craig Pam and Brett, is the death of Osama Bin Laden at the hands of the 9/11 Patch wearing U.S. navy SEAL’s. This anniversary of 9/11 will not be like the others—the man behind the most heartless and tragic attacks on American Citizens, is gone forever and will no longer share the spotlight with the innocent American’s he killed, nearly 10 years ago. It is a special 9/11 anniversary this year—one that FireCarrrers.com and the 9/11 Patch Project is proud to share with fellow Americans across this beautiful and Osama-terror-free land.