SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: THE DAY WEST CHESTER STOOD STILL, ITS HEART WITH NEW YORK’S FIREFIGHTERS
- A clear September morning gave way to unfolding tragedy, drawing Chester County officials around a television and Westtown School students into an evening gathering.
- George Eric Smith, Kevin Marlo and Michael Horrocks carried different connections to West Chester. Their stories bring the national tragedy home to families, friendships and a university football field.
- Five officers from Upper Uwchlan and Westtown–East Goshen joined the search in New York, working through the night and into the following day.
- On November 2, 2001, twelve Good Will Fire Company members traveled to New York for two FDNY funerals—a documented act of solidarity between firefighters serving different communities.
By Siba Beavogui | MyLocalPress September 11, 2026 To retrace that day, I begin with the memory preserved by one of West Chester’s own fire companies. Good Will Fire Company now stands at 552 East Union Street, at the corner of South Bolmar Street. Its present station opened in December…
Sources & Notes
This historical feature draws on Good Will Fire Company’s official history; Westtown Township Historical Commission’s “9/11 and ‘The Lessons of Westtown’”; the National September 11 Memorial & Museum timeline; memorial profiles of George Eric Smith and Kevin D. Marlo; West Chester University’s remembrance of Michael Horrocks; Archdiocese of Philadelphia announcements; U.S. House of Representatives historical records; published transportation coverage and local firefighter accounts; and Philadelphia weather records compiled by Extreme Weather Watch from NOAA data.
Recollections come from published accounts. No new interviews are presented. The accompanying AI-generated illustration is a symbolic tribute, not an archival photograph.
One picture was made with AI. AI checked spelling and grammar. The author checked the facts and was the final editor.
Subscribe to this journalist to read more
Get full access to all of this journalist's editorial content on My Local Press.