Hawaiʻi held remembrance events for the 9/11 attacks, with firefighters and military members honoring the first responders who died.

• Hundreds of hikers, including more than 100 service members, climbed Koko Head's 1,000 steps — a stand-in for the Twin Towers — some in full firefighting gear or carrying gravel to maintain the trail.
• Honolulu firefighters used the day to remember the 343 firefighters killed, and to recommit to safety habits that stop routine calls from turning deadly.
• 9/11 reshaped the job nationwide: agencies now train under one shared incident command system so fire, police, and medics can talk to each other — a gap exposed that day.
• Health is the long tail of the attacks, with well over 100,000 people signed up for the World Trade Center health program tracking cancers and illnesses from the toxic dust.
• Turnout was the biggest organizers had seen, partly driven by the anniversary and partly by unease over the Middle East.

Outlook: Honolulu crews stay focused on hurricane-season recovery, with Kauaʻi still early in rebuilding and Oʻahu firefighters sent to help.