The Hilliard community is invited to gather on Sept. 11 to rededicate a sacred place in our city, First Responders Park.
A rededication and remembrance ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at Hilliard’s Station Park, located just across the street at 4021 Main St., at the community’s built-in amphitheater.
Located in the center of Downtown Hilliard at the corner of Center and Main streets, First Responders Park is local monument built for a national impact. The park contains original artifacts from sites in New York City including a portion of subway rail and twisted beams of steel from ground zero.
The park is meant to be a place to visit, to mourn, and to remember those who give their lives to protect those in their community.
Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel will provide the keynote address.
The ceremony will also include remarks by Hilliard Chief of Police Michael Woods, Norwich Township Fire Battalion Chief Heith Good, and former State Sen. Stephanie Kunze.
Students from Hilliard Darby High School Polyphonix Choir will perform the singing of the National Anthem, and the Norwich Township Bagpipe Band will provide a prelude.
The ceremony will conclude with a wreath laying at First Responders Park by the joint Hilliard Police-Norwich Fire Honor Guard.
The event is free and open to the public.
Note: The ceremony will pause for a ceremonial ringing of the bell to commemorate the times of the attack: 8:46 a.m., 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m., and 10:07 a.m.
Road closures
For the safety of those in attendance, road closures will be in effect Thursday, Sept. 11 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. The road closure includes Main Street from Norwich to Franklin streets, and Center Street from Main to Columbia streets.
Wayne and Columbia streets will remain open for detours.
About First Responders Park
First Responders Park features granite walls inscribed with the names of those who lost their lives, a reflecting pool, personalized pavers, a monument honoring fallen officers, and a metal sculpture made from the steel of the World Trade Center.
In 2010, a delegation of 20 individuals representing the City of Hilliard Division of Police, Norwich Township Fire Department, and the Hilliard community made the two-day round-trip from Hilliard to New York City to escort home seven tons of steel from the World Trade Center for the site.
The park was originally dedicated on Sept. 11, 2010.
Weather and ultraviolet light has deteriorated the concrete, lighting and fountains. Renovations included replacing all concrete pavement, repainting stenciled pavers and bluestone, replacing all lighting, repairing supports for the trellis, and cleaning all granite surfaces, spray nozzles and plaques.
The City received $800,500 in funding from the State of Ohio’s One Time Strategic Community Investment Fund to support the renovation of the park. The grant was sponsored by former State Sen. Stephanie Kunze.
Learn more about the park’s symbolism here.
About Lt. Governor Tressel
Lt. Governor Tressel, who has served since February 2025, is a longtime leader in education and workforce development. He previously served as president of Youngstown State University, where he oversaw major improvements in student success and campus growth. A former executive at the University of Akron and a proud graduate of Baldwin-Wallace and the University of Akron, Tressel brings decades of experience guiding young people toward opportunity—including a distinguished coaching career that included national championships at both Youngstown State and The Ohio State University.
