Collin College Honors Fallen First Responders with Memorial Including Piece of World Trade Center

Collin College is paying tribute to the firefighters, police, emergency workers, and others who died responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center with a memorial at its Public Safety Training Center (PSTC) in McKinney.

The 6-foot-tall metal and glass memorial, which includes a 16-x-16-inch piece of steel recovered from the site of the attack, a representation of the pre-2001 New York City skyline and a plaque with an inscription marking the display’s sentiment, was unveiled at a small ceremony on Sept. 10. The plaque reads, “This piece of steel from the Twin Towers stands as a permanent reminder of September 11, 2001, a day that changed our lives forever.”

Reflecting on the installation of the memorial, Collin College District President Dr. Neil Matkin said, “This memorial stands as a reminder that, even in our darkest hours, we have heroes willing to give their all to help others. I am proud that Collin College can help spread that message through this memorial and our faculty’s work in training the next generation of first responders.”

Law Enforcement Academy Director Scott Donaldson and Fire Science Academy Director Pat McAuliff participated in the unveiling and spoke about how the 9/11 attacks affected them as first responders. Both talked about how this memorial is important for the future students who will pass through the doors of the PSTC.

“We want to be sure to continue the history, to see that we never forget it, and to make sure that it is something that we continue to pass on to all first responders,” Donaldson said. “We are very honored to have this display.”

The piece of steel from the World Trade Center was gifted to Collin College by New York Fire Department Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro after Donaldson made a request outlining the work Collin College does in educating the next generation of first responders. Artists Danny Jackson and Kolin Zomnir created the memorial.

The memorial sculpture is located in the PSTC lobby and available for public viewing during regular business hours. The PSTC, located at 3600 Redbud Blvd. in McKinney, is home to Collin College’s Law Enforcement and Fire Science academies. Visit www.collin.edu/campuses/pstc to learn more about the Public Safety Training Center and the academies.

Collin College serves more than 58,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management, and a new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Clinical Operations Management. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.


Photos by Nick Young, Collin College photographer
Lead photo – Law Enforcement Academy Director Scott Donaldson (left) and Fire Science Academy Director Pat McAuliff (right) stand next to the Sept. 11 memorial at the Collin College Public Safety Training Center in McKinney.

Second photo
The sunlight behind the sheet covering Collin College's Sept. 11 memorial creates a silhouette of the World Trade Center's twin towers inside the Law Enforcement Academy logo prior to the memorial’s unveiling.