Community — September 11, 2026
A Fonda Resident Who Answered the Call – We Remember 9/11
Among those who responded to Ground Zero was Brian Grisel, a lifelong resident of Fonda and now retired metalworker. His story reminds us that the response to September 11 extended far beyond the uniformed services.
A Fonda Resident Who Answered the Call
Among them was Brian Grisel, a lifelong resident of Fonda and now retired metalworker.
After Brian and the team he worked with learned that Ground Zero needed their specialized skills and equipment, they didn't hesitate. They loaded their trucks and headed to New York City to assist with the enormous rescue and recovery effort.
Brian and his team brought specialized exothermic cutting rods, commonly called "cutting sticks." This equipment could generate the intense heat needed to cut through heavy metal and concrete, helping workers access areas within the immense field of twisted steel and debris.
The conditions they encountered were unlike anything most people could have imagined. Yet throughout Ground Zero, people from many professions worked side by side toward a common purpose. Firefighters, police officers, emergency medical personnel, nurses, doctors, construction workers, ironworkers, welders, equipment operators, drivers, private businesses, tradespeople, and volunteers each brought whatever skills, tools, and experience they could offer. Brian was one of those people.
His story reminds us that the response to September 11 extended far beyond the uniformed services whose courage and sacrifice we rightfully honor. People from communities across the country stepped forward because they had a skill, a piece of equipment, or simply the willingness to help.
Photographs from Ground Zero
Brian was kind enough to share photographs from his time at Ground Zero. These images offer a personal, sobering view of the destruction responders faced and the extraordinary effort underway amid the wreckage. They also preserve an important part of our community's connection to that historic response.
Photographs shared from the personal collection of Brian Grisel.
We thank Brian for allowing us to share these photographs and, more importantly, for answering the call when his expertise was needed.
Brian's experience represents one story among the many carried by members of our community: those who responded, those who supported the response from home, and those who lost friends, relatives, colleagues, and loved ones.
Twenty-five years later, we continue to honor the lives lost, those who responded, and the families who still carry their absence.
We remember. We honor. We will never forget.