Grampian fire stations to fall silent today

Firefighters across Aberdeenshire and Moray will mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy with a minute's silence later today.

Stations will fall silent at 1.46pm – the time in the UK when the first plane impacted the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

The disaster holds particular poignancy for firefighters as they made up 343 out of the 412 emergency workers who lost their lives that day.

Many more have since suffered from physical and mental health issues linked to the disaster.

The Fire Brigades Union has written to its sister union in the USA to express solidarity on the anniversary.

Matt Wrack, its general secretary, said: "We extend our sympathies to the families, co-workers and friends of all those who died on that horrendous day, and particularly commemorate the firefighters who passed away.

"It is a stark reminder of the risks that firefighters can face across the globe."

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.