Richard Syroka, Jerry Takats and David Meegan spent a week at Ground Zero, helping with search and recovery efforts.
TOLEDO, Ohio —
For Toledo Firefighters Richard Syroka, Jerry Takats and David Meegan, the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, was different for each of them.
“When I found out, I happened to be working at the alarm office,” retired Deputy Chief Syroka said.
“I was going to the gym,” recalled retired Battalion Chief Takats.
“I was at home in my backyard,” retired firefighter Meegan remembered.
In the days following the tragedy, their responses were the same, though.
“I think it was a couple days later, I talked to Jerry. I said, ‘Want to go?’ He says, ‘Yeah,’ and then Jerry called Rick and ‘Absolutely.’ We got a few things together and we went,” Meegan explained.
Using their vacation time from the department, the trio packed a van with supplies and drove to New York City.
“It’s a brotherhood, so you …