St. Charles honored the brave first responders and innocent lives lost 24 years ago during its annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Fire Department Memorial Monument.

The St. Charles Fire Department Deputy Chief of Operations Jason Peterson and Deputy Chief of Administration Tony Cavallo led the ceremony.

[ See more photos from St. Charles' 9/11 remembrance ]

The ceremony began with an Honor Guard tribute and a speech by Mayor Clint Hull.

“We all understand the significance of today, and how important it is to remember the sacrifices that have been made,” Hull said. “Over the last four months as mayor, it’s only strengthened my understanding of how important this day is to St. Charles firefighters and firefighters around the country.”

Hull said his time as mayor has given him a new perspective on the lives of firefighters who leave their families every day and risk their lives to protect their communities.

“When I think about the significance of today and the sacrifices that were made, I think about our firefighters and what they do to protect us each and every day,” Hull said. “I just want them to understand that al of us here, not only us from the city but all the citizens of St. Charles, stand with you today.”

Peterson said: “On this day, Sept. 11, we gather as a department, as a community and as a nation to remember the lives lost, the sacrifices made and the courage shown in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Twenty-four years ago, our country witnessed an attack that will forever change the world that we live in.”

Nearly 3,000 people died on the day of the attack, including 343 firefighters, 23 police officers, 37 port authority officers and many more.

“These were our brothers and sisters who ran into danger to assist those in need. They climbed stairwells shrouded in smoke, carried people to safety and gave everything they had to protect others in danger. Their heroism is etched into the soul of our profession,” Peterson said. “Today we also remember their families that they left behind. The mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives who live every day with a void in their hearts.”

Peterson said being a firefighter is a calling that demands bravery, sacrifice and unwavering dedication, never better exemplified than by those in New York on the day of the attack.

“Let us never forget what happened that day. Let us never forget who we lost, and let us never forget why we serve,” Peterson said. “As we stand here today in our uniforms, shoulder to shoulder, let us recommit ourselves to the ideals of courage, compassion, service, honor and brotherhood that we all pledged when we took the oath and entered into this noble profession.”

After the invocation, the Honor Guard raised the remembrance flag, Cavallo read the firefighter’s prayer and placed a memorial wreath in front of the memorial monument.

The ceremony ended with the ringing of the fire bell. Three sets of three rings echoed at the ceremony during a moment of silence, signifying the end of their comrades’ duties.