9-11: An Evening of Remembrance, presented by AV Pro and the Duncanville Chamber of Commerce, will be held Sept. 8 at Hilton Garden Inn in Duncanville. Social time starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and an inspirational program at 7 p.m.
Steve Martin, President/CEO of Duncanville Chamber, said, “I have talked a lot lately about the “911 Evening of Remembrance.” You can tell that it is near and dear to my heart. It was a shame that so many lives had to be lost before we learned to appreciate our First Responders and the job they do. I hope that you will join me on Thursday, September 8th so that We Never Forget!”
“Please be in attendance that night to honor and remember all of those who lost their life that day. 2,977 people were killed that day and the numbers are soon to surpass that as cancer has already claimed over 2,000 more lives as a result of illnesses and injuries from that day,” he said.
The Duncanville Police Honor Guard, retired Fire Chief Terry Webb and Chaplain Dave George will participate in the program. Fire Chief Sam Rohde and Police Chief Mark LiVigni will also be featured on the program. Special music will be performed by Chloe Bonner, with bag pipes by Steve Pruitt.
Remembrance Guest Speaker Steve Pruitt
Longtime First Responder Pruitt will also be the Special Guest Speaker at the Evening of Remembrance. A Fort Worth native, Pruitt spent 38 years as a first responder, starting as an ambulance attendant for Gold Cross Ambulance Company in 1971.
He then served as a construction medic at the nuclear power plant near Glen Rose for 18 months. In 1979 he became one of the first Lieutenant/Paramedics for the Mansfield Fire Department. In 1985 he traveled north to the Arlington Fire Department where he became a Fire Prevention Specialist as well as a commissioned Peace Officer in the Arson Bureau. He transferred to Fire Operations division of the Arlington Fire Department in 1989, and in 1995 he became a Chief’s Driver or Incident Technician. He was responsible for establishing a formal Command Post and monitoring crew activity and crew safety.
First Bagpiper in Arlington Fire Department
Pruitt was a member of the Arlington Fire Department Honor Guard where he became the first bagpiper in the Arlington Fire Department. While at Arlington he received several letters of appreciation from both civilians as well as his co-workers. He is the recipient of the Firefighter of the Year award in 1999 as well as the Distinguished Service Award in 2001.
He has participated in Community Theater and still can be seen annually at the Saints and Sinners Tour at Oakwood Cemetery as part of the North Fort Worth Historical Society. He enjoys fishing on Joe Pool Lake and still finds time to work on his ‘N’ Scale model railroad. He is the official “Baby Whisperer” at his church and continues to make birdhouses for his little friends at church.
He has been married to the same woman for over fifty years and they have two children. His son is a Major in the Hillsboro Public Safety Department where he is in command of Fire Operations. His daughter teaches school in the Arlington School District. He has five grandchildren … that all call him Hank.
Admission to the Evening of Remembrance is $40 a person, with reserved tables of eight for $350. There will be a cash bar. For more information or to reserve tickets, please call 972-780-4990 or email hilda@duncanvillechamber.org
