GALLERY: Local Fire Department Completes 9/11 Memorial

Karen Ziemian had chills after two granite towers and a piece of World Trade Center steel was placed in front of the .

"It's very exciting. It's amazing. I'm glad we have a physical monument to honor those who were there and those who were lost," she said.

Ziemian was a member of the fire company's 9/11 Memorial Planning Committee. The planning process has taken two years since she first applied to receive WTC steel from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Members of the fire department and their families gathered outside the buidling in anticipation of the finished product.

Firefighter Neil Cafiero said the memorial is better than what he expected.

"Everybody was waiting all week for this. There was no way we were going to miss it," he said.

With two six-foot-tall granite towers that weigh just under 2,000 pounds each and the steel, the memorial is just about complete.

The water fountain illuminates blue during the night. With white lights shining and the red from the Lanoka Harbor Fire Department's sign, the memorial lights up red, white and blue - a feature that was not planned, Ziemian said.

An American "flag of heroes" that will list the names of first responders will be laid over the steel.

The memorial will have benches for the public to sit at and reflect in the future, Ziemian said. The department also plans to add another monumental stone on the left side.

There is a paver walkway in front of the memorial. The public will have the opportunity to purchase pavers and have a dedication enscribed.

The fire department will be holding an unveiling and a 9/11 memorial ceremony on Sunday at 11 a.m.

To purchase a paver call the fire department at 609-693-4998 or Mark Amrozewicz at 732-575-7776.