09/11/2026
Today marks 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks, a day that took 2,977 lives and forever changed our country.
The following morning after the attack, five Flint Township Police officers got into a patrol car and headed nearly 600 miles to New York City to help.
Sgt. John Seibel, Det. James Santa, Det. Vern Chontos, Ofc. Dave Reinfelder and Ofc. Kevin Salter spent the next seven days assisting in the aftermath of the attacks.
After arriving, the officers helped transport family members of those believed lost in the collapse to Ground Zero. They were later assigned to a security checkpoint approximately three blocks from the World Trade Center site, controlling access to the restricted area and escorting residents who needed to return to their homes.
They worked long days, surrounded by the dust and devastation of Ground Zero, alongside first responders who had traveled from across the country to help.
Twenty-five years later, we remember the 2,977 people who went to work, boarded a flight, or reported for duty that morning and never came home. We remember their families, and the first responders whose sacrifices continued long after September 11.
Twenty-five years have passed. We haven't forgotten.
