A RETAINED firefighter from St Ives is flying the flag for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service at two important memorials this year.

Richard Jenkins was the standard bearer representing CFRS at the 2011 National Memorial Service in London on Sunday – a service which held extra significance this year as it fell on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York.

The service, ‘Remembering With Hope’, was held at St Paul’s Cathedral and attended by the US Ambassador and representatives of fire services from across the country.

The Annual Service of Remembrance has been held every September for 20 years, and since 2001 has also remembered firefighters from across the world.

Mr Jenkins, who will also represent CFRS at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday in November, said participating had been “a great honour”.

“The service was much bigger than usual this year as it’s obviously a very important anniversary, and one which is of particular significance to firefighters.”

Mr Jenkins stood guard during the service at St Paul’s, and his daughter, Drew, laid a wreath on behalf of Cambridgeshire firefighters.

Staff from CFRS who were working on Sunday joined the international day of remembrance by holding a minute’s silence at their stations at 1.46pm – the exact UK time that the first plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Centre.