Henrico firefighter reflects on 9/11, a $200K 'Fill the Boot' drive, and a son inspired to serve

HENRICO, Va. — When the Twin Towers fell, New York City firefighters were tasked with an impossible mission.

Continue to sift through the wreckage while fighting fatigue and remaining alert for other emergencies… in a city that never sleeps.

All of that was made harder by the fact they were mourning the loss of hundreds of their brothers who had been killed in the line of duty.

While fire crews from across the country were dispatched to Ground Zero to assist with the search and recovery, others would eventually make their way to Manhattan to help say a final farewell.

“You just feel that same compassion anytime we see firefighters lost anywhere in the United States,” said Henrico Battalion Chief Doug Reynolds. “Probably one of the first things we started seeing was all the memorials that popped up at every one of our fire stations.”

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And he’ll never forget the way Central Virginia rallied to help the loved ones of the fallen heroes, particularly a “fill the boot” project to raise money for the public safety families in New York.

They expected to raise a few thousand dollars, but as it turned out, their sights were set far too low.

“We started early in the morning, we had the radio and the TV reporters going live over there, and before the day was over, $200,000 right there in that parking lot,” said Reynolds. “It was the coolest thing I've ever done in my career in the fire department.”

A short time after helping to collect all that cash, Reynolds got to pay his respects in person.

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“It took a long time, you know, to pull those firefighters out of that debris, so they had months of funerals,” said Reynolds. “You know, I remember walking by Madison Square Garden… a sea of firefighters in front of me, a sea of firefighters behind me, as far as you could see, from around the world, it was just that outpouring of support.”

And Reynolds would not be the only member of his family inspired to give back after 9/11.

“That is why Dougie joined the military, yeah, because of this whole event,” said Reynolds about his son.

Though he was just a child when America was attacked, Doug Reynolds Jr. made a vow to one day serve his country.

He’s currently doing that overseas.

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But when he’s back home, Reynolds says his son puts on full protective gear and participates in the 9/11 memorial stair climbs that take place in Henrico and across the country… a patriotic tip of the cap to his father’s profession, and those who lost their lives.

“He does it every year,” said Reynolds. “Being in the Army, he realizes the sacrifices that the firefighters make, just like our soldiers, their sons and daughters do around the country, so yeah, you know, he goes out there with his full battle rattle when he does it. So, it's awesome.”

For Reynolds, just like many Americans, remembering the sights and sounds of September 11^th is painful. But he says forgetting them would be far worse.

And while there were so many terrible scenes captured on camera that day, there is one image that never fails to fill him with pride… and raise his spirits.

Provided to WTVR

“You know, when you see that, you know, picture of those firefighters with the American flag, you know, that lets you know we're going to be all right,” said Reynolds. “We're hurting, you know. We've been gut punched, but we're coming back, and we're going to even be better.”