By Mary O’KEEFE

Crescenta Valley recognized Patriot Day on Monday, Sept. 11 in two separate ceremonies. The first was a motorcade that wound its way through the La Crescenta and La Cañada areas, ending up at Camp 6 near Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The motorcade focused on the recognition of community and emergency responders. The classic cars followed a detailed map (printed in the Sept. 7 issue of CV Weekly), passing local fire and law enforcement stations where many emergency personnel stood. As they drove by schools and neighborhoods, people waved flags celebrating America’s resolve in the face of terrorism and tragedy, and honored those emergency responders who ran toward danger on Sept. 11. Recognized, too, were those who continue to support the community through their service.

At the evening ceremony at Bob Smith Toyota on Foothill Boulevard, the goals were to remember those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and also show ongoing support for emergency responders.

Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station Capt. Christopher Blasnek was on hand, along with firefighters and official representatives. Blasnek thanked all who were there for showing their support for their local law enforcement and firefighters.

The program included performances by Dunsmore, Mountain Avenue and Valley View elementary schools, whose students sang patriotic songs and read poems. Each school honored those who had lost their lives on 9/11.

Monday’s ceremony also included musical entertainment by well-known guitarist Mark Achuff and the Theater Americana and the Filipino/American Youth Strings orchestra. Crescenta Valley High School senior Carter J. Walsch played taps.

The colors were presented by Boy Scout Troop 288 and Rev. Beverly Craig shared a prayer at the beginning of the event.

Each year the event spotlights someone who was directly affected by the terrorist attack, either because of a relative who was there or who responded at ground zero. This year Dr. Donald Bosch, senior advisor and director of Risk Environment Psychology at the Headington Institute, shared the story of Rick Rescorla.

Rescorla was the director of Security for Morgan Stanley at the World Trade Center.

“What he did was a very simple thing. As a chief security officer at Morgan Stanley, what he did was make [those working in the office] get up off their chairs and leave their desks every couple of months, find the exit and walk down several flights of stairs. That is what he did,” Bosch said.

He added that Rescorla may not have been very popular in that office.

“Especially those in the corner offices [where people] didn’t like being interrupted; however, it was that simple act that saved many lives that day,” he said.

Bosch explained that he works with emergency responders and aid workers all over the world. He helps them deal with the dangers they will face and how to be prepared. The fact that Rescorla made the Morgan Stanley employees train in this way forced them to create an almost automatic response when emergencies occurred.

“It is something about the way our brain works,” he explained.

He said that when emergency situations occur many thought processes revert to a more primitive part of the brain.

“We call it fight or flight,” he said.

The problem is, he continued, the part of the brain that is more rational “goes on a vacation.”

“You can’t think right and that is not a good thing to happen when you are faced with an emergency situation,” Bosch said.

It was Rescorla’s training that is credited with saving many lives on 9/11 when employees found the exit and walked down the many flights of stairs.

“This was profound on his part,” he said.

Rescorla went back into the Tower to help others out; he unfortunately did not make it out again.

Bosch said everyone could still learn from Rescorla and to be prepared. He suggested for people to plan for the not-if-but-when earthquake and not only have an emergency plan, but walk it with family members. He said that through those “simple acts” people will be safer and it will make it easier for emergency responders to help.

  DANNY GOLDSWORTHY, Mary Okeefe