“I ran it twice,” said Melo. “The people push you. All the dancing, the groups, the music, that’s what motivates you. When you’re running and you’re in pain and tired and thinking of giving up, the people just lift you. They help you get through.”

Lifting people up is part of Melo’s daily work with Nick Ferraiolli and Christian Vargas, both named in bold on his sign. The three men work together at FDNY EMS Station 8, a Kips Bay location of Bellevue EMS. Melo seemed to cheer so hard that he lost his balance when they passed by, but marathon encouragement isn’t the only way he supports his coworkers. Melo has served for 31 years and mentored countless young folks in the FDNY.

“They are great guys. I want to come out and support them,” he said, smiling toothily.

Melo lives just around the corner from his 13th Street and 4th Ave cheering outpost, but he hails from Bogotá, Colombia. The marathon is a favorite slice of NYC culture for Melo, and whether or not his friends are running, he and his wife come out every year. 

“A couple of years it has been very cold,” Melo said, before a toddler in pigtails and a pink puffer wrapped her arms around his legs. “We still come,” he finished, “it’s the community.”

In fact, neighbors surrounded Melo, often roping him into their cheers and throwing their arms around his neck. He joined in chanting “Ben!” over and over for a friend of a friend, and his sign swayed in the bright sky as he turned to watch the runner pass. The community aspect of the NYC marathon is what brings Melo back year after year, to stand out in the sun or bluster.

 “Go New York, Go New York, Go New York, Go!” he shouted, cheering on the whole city.

“We don’t do it for the elite people,” Melo said, looking at his wife. “We like the fact that there are people with struggles in their lives, and they triumph in this. They achieve this.”

Whether they are battling hunger or cancer, says Melo, trouble at work or with the family, folks come out to the marathon to do something. To run the marathon, he implies, is to be good at it, and that is the magic of the day.

Melo chuckled, “They’re doing it; it’s great,” he said. “They’re doing it for whatever cause they can.”

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Held inside the museum’s 9/11 permanent memorial room, the service contained the presentation of the colors, singing of the national anthem, invocation, remarks and laying of the wreath. 

“I encourage all of you to spend some time and think about the choices they had to make,” First Deputy Commissioner of FDNY Laura Kavanagh said in her speech. “Not only did they make the ultimate sacrifice, but they really left behind the foundation and legacy to save people’s lives.”

Housed in two adjoining rooms, the 9/11 memorial room serves as the first permanent memorial for the firefighters lost during the attacks. In the center of the exhibition stands a black marble and tile memorial with the names and images of each firefighter.

The exhibit also includes used tools and items recovered from the Ground Zero, a timeline and media coverage of 9/11 events, an interactive computer station and images of national tributes to the FDNY.

Within the 9/11 memorial at NYC Fire Museum, a timeline of September 11, 2001, is displayed chronicling the tragic events happened during that day, along with the responding rescue and recovery efforts. Photo by Shiyu Xu

Gary Urbanowicz, director of the NYC Fire Museum, gave his condolences to the past and welcomed the visitors who came to the museum to pay their respect. 

“This memorial is a very special place for all of us,” Urbanowicz said. “Those heroes turned words into actions and that inspired me to make our commitment to never forget.”

For those who share the haunting experience, visiting the memorial has become their annual routine. 

Merill Resnick, 72, who used to work a few blocks away from the Twin Towers, recalled his memory of this day 18 years ago. 

“I was working, watching the news and constantly going back to the window to see what was going on,” Resnick said. “I remember when the second tower collapsed, I looked out of the window, and there was nothing there. It took around 10 minutes for the smoke to reappear again. For me, it was a haunting experience.” 

Resnick witnessed the firefighters as first responders going into the unknown. He said that he has been in this room many times, and “each time it becomes more and more heartening.”

“I just noticed today that this room is actually an addition to the museum,” Resnick said. “It’s beautiful, but it’s the addition I’d rather not see.” 

Former director of the museum, Judith Jamison, 78, also pays a visit to the memorial every year. For her, the character of the firefighters is something she finds “absolutely amazing.”

Former Director of the museum Judith Jamison, center, pays her condolences during the invocation for the 9/11 memorial service at the NYC Fire Museum on September 11, 2019. Photo by Shiyu Xu.

“The best thing about the museum is to talk to the firefighters who have volunteered to work here and get their stories,” Jamison said. “It’s inspiring to work with people like this, and it’s inspiring to the country to know what happened down 9/11.”

Jamison also said that after retiring from FDNY, many volunteered as docents in the museum to help educate the public.

A new addition to the museum, a survivor tree recovered from the 9/11 attack, was planted back in June to serve as a tribute to the lives of 343 firefighters and the 200 that lost their lives from 9/11 related disease and illness.

“The tree is a tribute and reminder for all of us to never forget,” Urbanowicz said.

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Superheroes line the walls of St. Mark’s Comics in the East Village. But after a fire struck the store Feb. 17, the real heroes were members of the New York City police and fire departments.

“I have nothing but nice things to say about the firemen and the police,” storeowner Mitch Cutler said in reference to the quick response by both teams.

The fire, which was readily contained, ignited behind a wall at the front of St. Mark’s Comics. Apart from damage to the wall and several statues, no one was harmed and the store reopened shortly after the incident.

“The word of the fire traveled very quickly and we were very gratified to see the people who came in and the phone calls and the emails, it was a very humbling experience,” Cutler said.

St. Mark’s Comics held a fire sale to increase store traffic; by the next week, the store was back in business.

“I don’t think [the fire] is going to really make a difference on business,” Anthony Crep of the East Village said. “I mean when they put the little sale things out that say fire sale, they do sales there on a semi-regular basis, you know that brings the people in and I think that more than a fire or anything would help business or hinder business. I mean they are an institution they have been her for ages, so I don’t think they are going anywhere.”

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