On September 11, 2001, 34 year old Firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller, who was assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1, had just finished his shift when he got word over his scanner of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Upon hearing the news, he returned to Squad 1 to get his gear.
 
He drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed for security purposes. Determined to carry out his duty, he strapped 60 lbs. of gear to his back, and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave up his life while saving others.
 
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation was established to honour his sacrifice by building mortgage-free smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
 
This plaque was commissioned by a fire-fighter colleague who regularly travels to the USA to participate in the Tunnel to Towers 5k. He presented the plaque to the Foundation for display at their head office in Staten Island, New York. As befits the subject matter, the plaque is constructed from mahogany, salvaged from redundant fire station doors.