Finding Healing: How two retired FDNY Firefighters Honor Fallen Brothers in Florida

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Louis Kikis and Rich Miccio are choosing to honor their fallen brothers in Pinellas County rather than traveling to New York City for the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

Firefighters seek peace in Dunedin

What we know:

For retired FDNY firefighters Louis Kikis and Rich Miccio, avoiding the journey to Manhattan is a way to protect themselves from returning to the site of their trauma. Instead, both men have found a sanctuary for healing at the 9/11 Memorial located at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens in Dunedin, Florida.

Miccio, who served with Engine 325 in Queens, completed his shift just as the attacks began and arrived near the North Tower after the South Tower collapsed. Kikis arrived shortly after to lead search and recovery efforts through the rubble. Both men lost dozens of friends on that day and have lost many others in the years since to 9/11-related illnesses.

World Trade Center steel in Florida

The backstory:

The memorial site at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens features plaques listing the names of the fallen alongside a weathered steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center. The site provides an everyday space for solace rather than just a venue for annual commemorations.

Both Kikis and Miccio serve on the Curlew Hills 9/11 Committee. Together, they help organize an annual ceremony that has grown into one of the largest 9/11 commemorations in the country outside of New York City.

Memorial service honors 25th anniversary

What's next:

The 25th annual memorial service will take place Friday, Sept. 11, at 10 a.m. at Curlew Hills Memory Gardens, located at 1750 Curlew Road in Palm Harbor, Fla. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.

This year's guest speaker will be Genelle Guzman McMillan, the final survivor rescued from Ground Zero. She will share her story of surviving 27 hours buried under the rubble following the collapse of the World Trade Center North Tower.

Solace away from Manhattan

What they're saying:

"It’s hard to believe it’s 25 years... It'll always be 9/11 in our eyes," Kikis said of the milestone. Reflecting on the aftermath of the attack, Kikis noted, "Everything was gone... so we got out, picked a spot and started looking for bodies. And that’s what we did. If it wasn’t down at the site, it was one funeral after another and wakes... And that’s all you did."

Miccio recalled his arrival at Ground Zero, saying, "Some guys went right, some guys went left. The only heroes didn’t go home that day. The rest of us were lucky." Explaining what the local memorial means to him today, Miccio added, "Everyone who comes to visit us—friends and family—they get in the car and they're going with us. I'm taking them... It's home for us, for sure."

Details surrounding local recovery efforts

What we don't know:

Officials have not detailed how many total attendees are expected at Friday morning's ceremony in Palm Harbor. It also remains unconfirmed whether additional local first responder agencies will participate in the formal procession.

September 11