Several firefighters from all around the Chattanooga area met early Sunday with their motorcycles in the parking lot of the Northern Tool Company on the corner of Lee Highway and Bonny Oaks Drive.
The motorcyclists are all firefighters and they started showing up just before 6 a.m. to prepare to ride north on I-75. The group was headed to Knoxville to attend the third annual 9-11 remembrance ceremony.
Five years after the horrible attack on our nation, firefighters have not lost any momentum for remembering their fallen brothers.
Captain Ken Moses, an avid motorcycle enthusiast, is a 28-year veteran and a captain with the city Of Chattanooga Fire Department. Captain Moses is also the president of the Red Knights Chapter #4, located in the Southeast Tennessee area. Captain Moses received information from the Red Knights Chapter #2 out of Knoxville about the event.
Captain Moses immediately decided he would organize a post remembrance ceremony ride and invite every firefighter in the Southeast region. Captain Moses spent numerous hours calling and sending out letters to every emergency service organization he could find in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia.
The Red Knights are a motorcycle organization that was started for firefighters all over the country. Just as there are motorcycle groups for police officers and other groups, this one is for firefighters.
President of Chapter #4, Ken Moses, says that their main focus for their chapter is motorcycle safety. As a firefighter and a motorcyclist he can relate to some of the serious issues on the road today. “Safety is number one, no matter where we go or what we are involved in we are always promoting safety,” he said.
Leaving Chattanooga just before 7:30, the motorcyclists and firefighters headed north on Interstate 75 and were to end up at the World‘s Fair Park in Knoxville for the remembrance ceremony.
This is an all-day event that started around 10:30 a.m. Several additional firefighters were expected to join in on the ride along the way.
Captain Ken Moses says he doesn’t do this for the recognition. He does it for the camaradie and the brotherhood.
- Photo2 by Bill Carson, www.carsonphotos.net