New York City Fire Department Emergency Medical Services Deputy Chief Zachary Goldfarb was coming home to Nassau County following a long overnight shift of work that began on September 10, 2001 when he heard on his radio that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center.

He immediately turned around and headed to the scene. By the time he came out of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel the second tower had been hit.

He headed up West Street, dodging huge amounts of debris, aircraft parts and human remains. “It was like coming out of the tunnel and entering into hell,” he said. He was only the second EMS chief to arrive at the scene.

The member of Temple Israel of Great Neck will tell of his experiences — and why he believes the events that unfolded 22 years ago should not only be remembered, but also taught to school children — when he is the featured speaker at Temple Israel’s annual September 11th memorial service, held each year at the Saddle Rock 9/11 Memorial Bridge on Bayview Avenue.

The bridge had a commanding view of the World Trade Center and residents gathered at the site in 2001 as the tragedy unfolded. Many lit candles on the bridge and hung pictures of loved ones from the bridge railing.

Fire department volunteers from surrounding departments as well as elected officials will attend the service, which is open to the community beginning at 6 p.m.

The bridge will be closed to traffic for the service and evening prayers, to be conducted by Rabbi Howard Stecker and Hazzan Brian Shamash. It has been sponsored every year since 2002 by the Men’s Club of Temple Israel.

Goldfarb, who retired from the city’s fire department in 2002, now is the principal of Incident Management Solutions, a New York based certified emergency management consultancy specializing in planning, training and operational leadership for emergencies and major events.

He is also a volunteer emergency medical technician with Great Neck’s Vigilant Fire Company and a member of Temple Israel’s Security Committee.

He and his wife, Janet Nina Esagoff, have donated automated external defibrillators and emergency bleed control kits which have been placed throughout Temple Israel.

“It was an extremely difficult day,” Mr. Goldfarb said. “For a long time, it was like a movie track continuously playing on a reel in my head. We should be talking about what took place on September 11th with our families, with our children. We should explain why we must keep having commemoration ceremonies; why people intentionally go into harm’s way to help others. We must remember why the events of that day are so important.”