The loss of life among emergency aides last Sept. 11 is a staggering, sobering total.

We continue to hear, as another Sept. 11 approaches, much about the approximately 2,950 who were killed when airliners crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. That total, whatever it might officially be, is staggering considering the victims were innocents who had nothing to do with whatever the terrorists were trying to prove.

But we need to keep in mind that while the aforementioned people suffered needless death, nearly 400 others with a responsibility for public safety and security also perished.

Much, and properly so, has been made of the firefighters, police and New York Port Authority people who died trying to do the right thing at a horrid time. But do most realize that nearly 500 such people gave their lives in public service?

At the last full count, 343 fire department people were killed in New York’s World Trade Center holocaust, 23 police officers died and 37 members of the port authority were killed. The port authority sacrifices are often overlooked. These were people who were trained to deal with emergencies and danger, knew the risks they faced, still took them and paid the full price for their courage and dedication.

There is absolutely no way to assure that travesties of the 9-11 nature will not recur, considering the state of the world and the evil people dedicated to killing imagined enemies. But officials point out there is a chance emergency people in the future will be better-prepared and perhaps can be spared to some degree. Much was learned about response tactics.

Emergency units all over the nation have studied what happened in New York and Washington and have been working to determine new procedures to save lives  those of the attacked and the would-be rescuers.

“We’ve revised our mobilization procedures, controlling the number of personnel who respond at any one time to an event,” says New York police commissioner Raymond Kelly. Fire department and port authority people concur and agree they are better attuned to what must be done in terrible circumstances.

There is no possibility of a guarantee that future terrorist tragedies will not transpire and that other innocents will not suffer. There is, however, a good chance that various units designed to help on such occasions will be able to do a better job. In so doing, they may save more victims and keep more of their own people safe and functioning.

It is important to remember that while some 2,800 died in the New York twin towers disaster, some 25,000 people were able to escape. At one time, it was feared the death toll would exceed 10,000. Much credit goes to individuals who kept their heads and prevailed, but a lot of plaudits also go to the nearly 500 public servants who labored for others’ welfare and died.