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How 9/11 solidified a local firefighter's calling to become one

Sept. 11 is a moment etched into millions of memories. For one local sergeant with the Atlanta Fire Department, he remembers that day as one when he knew for sure what he was called to do.

ATLANTA — There are few moments in history in which every American can answer the question: "Where were you when it happened?"

For some, it's the Moon Landing. For others, it's the Assassinations of Dr. King, JFK, and Robert Kennedy.

For Americans alive in the year just after the start of the new Millennium, it was the September 11 terrorists attacks.

It's a moment etched into millions of memories, and each year on that date, the nation takes a moment to pause and reflect on the lives lost that morning in 2001. For one local sergeant with the Atlanta Fire Department, he remembers that day as one when he knew for sure what he was called to do.

"Thinking about serving the public is something that really has always been in my heart," Sgt. Cortez Stafford told 11Alive.

Stafford remembers watching the second plane crash into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City live on TV as a freshman at Morehouse College in Atlanta. And after seeing the heroism of 343 firefighters from the New York Fire Department, it was a moment he said solidified his decision to become one himself.

"When 9/11 happened, and the events that transpired and the day going forward, it only pushed me to go forward even more in my ability and wanting to serve the public more," he told 11Alive's Kaityln Ross.

Stafford said the day is a reminder of the men and women who sacrificed their lives, who wanted to run into burning buildings, and those who still go above and beyond their call to duty to serve.

"I'm very happy that I chose this life that I chose for me to be a public servant and to serve the city of Atlanta as a fireman," he said. "It's something that I've always wanted to do."

Stafford said the camaraderie among his fellow firefighters and the dedication they is what makes the job worth it.

"If you're in the station and the alarm goes off, there's not one person that I've every heard say, 'I'm not going to this call'." he said. "You get on the truck, the alarm goes off and you find out what you have going on when you get there."

"The most important thing is that you're there with your brothers and sisters an you guys are ready to go into battle regardless of what the situation may be," he added. "It's very near and dear to us, that's why we're such a family unit inside the station and outside the station because we have that closeness when we go into battle and doing the things we do when we protect the city."

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