GALLERY: Sergeant Stan Swan, Deputy Sheriff Terry Palmer, Deputy Sheriff Derek Ward, Deputy Sheriff Ryan McKnight, and Deputy Sheriff Dan Hanchett responded to help with recovery
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a day that forever changed our nation and a day we must never forget.
In the aftermath of the attacks and the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, Americans from every corner of the country answered the call to serve. Among them were five members of the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office who traveled to Fishkill, New York, to assist with the recovery effort.
Sheriff Randal Belmont, Corrections Sergeant Stan Swan, Deputy Sheriff Terry Palmer, Deputy Sheriff Derek Ward, Deputy Sheriff Ryan McKnight, and Deputy Sheriff Dan Hanchett left their families and community for one week, to assist with the painstaking task of sorting through debris and material recovered from the World Trade Center site in Manhattan. Their assignment was part of the enormous recovery effort that followed one of the darkest days in our nation’s history.
Twenty-five years later, five of these five men have retired, while Deputy Sheriff Derek P. Ward gave his life in the line of duty on July 3, 2004. The dedication shown by Ward, Sheriff Belmont, Sergeant Swan, Deputy McKnight, and Deputy Hanchett in answering the call after September 11th remains an important part of the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office legacy.
At the same time, another important mission was taking place here at home.
In the hours and days following September 11th, no one knew what might come next. Communities across America faced fear and uncertainty, and the residents of Allegany County looked to their first responders and public safety professionals for protection, reassurance, and stability.
Among those who remained at their posts here in Allegany County were Corrections Officer Steve Herdman, Deputy Sheriff Bart Hannon, E-911 Dispatcher Neil Green, Deputy Sheriff (Sgt.) Shawn Grusendorf, Corrections Officer Jason Stork, Deputy Sheriff (Lt.) Timothy Hand, Deputy Sheriff Casey McRae, Corrections Officer Holly Herdman, Deputy Sheriff Jason Cole, Jail Administrator Chris Ivers, Corrections Officer (Lt.) Craig Plaisted, and E-911 Dispatcher Penny Chamberlain.
These men and women along with many others, maintained the security of our communities and correctional facility, answered emergency calls, responded to the needs of our citizens, and helped provide a sense of safety during a time when our nation faced an unknown and unprecedented threat.
Perhaps most remarkable is that 25 years later, each of these individuals continues to serve with the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office today. Their careers span a quarter-century since that September morning, representing an extraordinary continuity of service and commitment to the people of Allegany County.
Their service also reminds us that the response to September 11th did not occur only in New York City or at recovery sites. It occurred in communities large and small throughout America, where law enforcement officers, corrections officers, dispatchers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and countless others remained at their posts and stood ready to protect the people they served.
Today, we remember the 2,977 innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001, the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the many rescue and recovery workers who later suffered or died from illnesses related to their service at Ground Zero and other recovery sites.
On this 25th anniversary, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office recognizes those who traveled from our community to assist with the recovery and those who remained behind to protect it. Different assignments, different responsibilities, but one shared mission: service to others during a time when our nation needed it most.
For some, their watch has ended. For others, remarkably, that watch continues today.
We remember those we lost.
We honor those who answered the call.
We recognize those who served away from home.
We recognize those who stood watch here at home.
And we will never forget.
September 11, 2001 — September 11, 2026
25 Years Later — Never Forget.
