Just days before the 9/11 ceremony, Carl Kumpel, and his girlfriend, Brooke Severe, were polishing the memorial dedicated to his father, Kenneth. The elder Kumpel, a member of Ladder 25 in New York City, died when the second tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. Since the memorial was erected, Kumpel, his brother, and mother have made semi-annual visits to give it a coat of polish and wax. Last year Kumpel followed in his father’s footsteps by joining Storm King Engine Company (the elder was a volunteer with Highland Engine). “He always set a great example,” Kumpel said. “It’s hard not to follow in his footsteps. He was such a great man.”