BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Beckley city treasurer Billie Trump, a retired firefighter, said first responders are often underappreciated.

Trump made his comments after a 9/11 memorial service at Jim Word Memorial Park on Monday, September 11, 2023.

Trump urged the public to consider the jobs emergency responders perform.

“Put yourself in their shoes,” said Trump. “You know, roll in, when a place is burning down, and go in and try to find somebody. Make a traffic stop on an evil person in the middle of the night. And the EMS guys that work here are doing great work.”

Trump applied for a grant and filed paperwork to bring a remnant of the South Tower to Beckley from New York in 2011.

The metal is now on display at Jim Word Memorial Park and is part of the city’s annual 9/11 ceremony.