Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

TUCSON - One of the FDNY firefighters who brought the September 11 memorial flag from New York to Tucson after the tragic shooting incident on January 8 has been forced out of his home by Superstorm Sandy.

After the Safeway shooting that claimed the lives of eight people, including Christina-Taylor Green and Judge John Roll, several of the first responders to the terror attack of September 11, 2001 traveled to Tucson with the Ceremonial National 9/11 Flag for the funeral service of Christina-Taylor Green. The flag, sewn togehter from flags that were damaged in the attack on 9/11, was brought back to Tucson six months after the tragedy, and again on September 11, 2012.

One of the first responders, James "Jimmy" Sands of the Fire Department City of New York, traveled with the flag to the Tucson. Today, he is living out of truck after Superstorm Sandy completely filled his basement and flooded his main floor, according to a local Facebook friend of Sands. His home was several blocks from the mandatory evacuation area, and when the storm hit, he was forced to seek higher ground.

On Sands' most recent trip to Tucson, he was given a medallion by the Northwest Fire District, and helped Roxanna Green, Christina-Taylor's mother, to kick off the 9/12 Generation Project at Cross Middle School.

"Our thoughts and prayers are not only with Jimmy, but all the victims of Hurricane Sandy," said Northwest Fire District Captain Adam Goldberg. "We hope that he's able to recover."

"This man has been a hero to Tucson in our darkest days," stated his Facebook friend and Tucsonan Karen Chatterton.

Pictured: Several photos posted by Sands to his Facebook page, showing the damage to his home and neighborhood left by Superstorm Sandy.