Affton Firefighter Jordan Levinson Remembers September 11th

Firefighter Jordan Levinson, 32, of Affton Engine House 1, had just gotten his EMT license the August before the terrorist attacks of September 11th. “It definitely pushed me to work harder to get to where I am today, most definitely,” Levinson said.

“My initial reaction to it was one of anger, just like anybody else had. Just wondering, ‘how could this ever happen?’ I think we had a bad sheltered life of, ‘that could never happen to us, you know, in the United States,’ just that we were invincible. And I think, not to be too broad, but to all Americans, that it was a very humbling experience, especially for those of us who were already participating in the field, it was just kind of a wake up call.

Levinson was inspired to see how the community rallied around the emergency responders in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Levinson watched the whole thing on TV but said actually being a part of would be unlike anything you’ll ever experience.

After September 11^th Levinson began to see a positive community response to the firefighters in the St. Louis area that he had not seen before. “I think the community kind of saw what we do on a much more personal level, with as many lives that were lost,” said Levinson. “I can remember being down in the Central West End just having dinner with some friends, and one of the city fire trucks drove past, and everybody on the street was applauding them as they were going by.”

Does it still happen? Levinson says it might, but that he doesn’t see big gestures like that as much anymore. Now it’s the little things.

“I’ll be stopped in the grocery store with people who just want to thank us for what we do,” said Levinson. “We don’t do it for thanks, so when we get it, it’s kind of nice.”

Levinson lives in Affton with his wife Anna, and his three children - Madison, 7, Sophia, 4, and Joseph, 3.