Responders to the plane crash at the Echelon office complex last Thursday met again on the one week anniversary to mark the moment the plane hit.
“In observance of this tragedy we will all now observe a moment of silence,” announced Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell.
The grouped paused for more than 25 seconds in silence. Mayor Leffingwell stood at the podium surrounded by city leaders and the leaders of the Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department, Austin/ Travis County EMS and Travis County HazMat.
The crowd stood close to one another to mark the exact moment Joseph Stack, 53, intentionally flew his plane into the IRS offices at the Echelon building complex.
Over the past week since the crash a few select groups of people have called Stack a hero for taking a stand against the IRS. Mayor Leffingwell spoke with intensity against that during the memorial service.
“Hundreds of our neighbors might have died last Thursday morning. There's nothing here to celebrate. There's nothing about the perpetrator to honor. There's nothing of value in what happened here last week. Instead, there's only profound sadness, a deep sense of loss that will live in the hearts of many in our community for a long time to come,” said Mayor Leffingwell.
Mayor Leffingwell walked through the shattered remains at the Echelon building earlier this week -- the same spot where a man went inside to pull six employees from the office moments after the plane hit.
Robin Dehaven isn’t an emergency worker. He just happened to be driving by on his way to work when the plane hit.
“I was just going where I needed to go and trying to focus on that. I wasn't looking around much. The plane was on the other side I think, but I didn't see flames yet. i just saw a lot of smoke and I knew you had to get them out there. You don't know what's going to happen -- an explosion, the building collapse or what,” said Dehaven.
During the memorial service, Leffingwell honored Dehaven with three challenge coins -- one from APD, another from AFD and a third the Austin/Travis County EMS. The coins honor his heroism in the moments of chaos.
Mayor Leffingwell says Dehaven is the first person in the City of Austin to be awarded with challenge coins from all three major city agencies.
