INDIANAPOLIS — At a ceremony marking the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, former New York Police Department Chief Chuck Dowd spoke at the 9/11 Memorial in downtown Indianapolis.

“Even though in our heads we knew there was nothing we could have done to prevent that attack or stop those buildings from coming down,” Dowd said, “in our hearts, we felt like we had failed. First responders hate to fail. We hate it. And it had a demoralizing effect on us, especially in those first few weeks.”

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, including hundreds of first responders. Dowd said the morale of the NYPD and other emergency services was lifted not by time, but by the support that poured in from across the country, including Indiana.

“What changed

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