Edmonton firefighters who died this year honoured on 9/11 anniversary

Edmonton firefighters who died this year were honoured on Monday, the anniversary of 9/11.

Wreaths were laid and families rang a bell at Firefighters Memorial Plaza for past and present Edmonton Fire Rescue Services members who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, EFRS Chief Joe Zatylny and other local, provincial and federal officials paid their respects.

"As our city experiences an extreme fire season and an escalating opioid crisis, this has been an especially difficult time for first responders," Sohi said. "These actions are a testament to their commitment to serve those in need."

"We humbly pay our respects; we pause and remember them; we pause and we thank them," Chief Zatylny said.

"To the families and friends of the firefighters we lost, please know we think of you often. Our thoughts are always with you, and we will never forget the dedications and service of your loved ones or the sacrifices you made so that they could help so many others. It's a debt that we can never repay."

Capt. Ryan Beniuk, a 19-year veteran, has seen friends lose their lives, and for him it is an honour to remember them and continue to be a part of the service.

"It's heartwarming to see us all support each other, and just the bond that's kind of shared between us all," Beniuk said. "We have a lot of shared experiences and some aren't awesome and some are wonderful. Collectively, we kind of all come together, and working together, it kind of bonds you all together and when people pass on through line-of-duty deaths or even retired members as they pass, it’s one large family. It's an honour to be a part of it."

The memorial is held each year on the anniversary of Sept. 11, the terrorist attacks in 2001 in which more than 340 firefighters died.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk