TWIN FALLS, Idaho — A 150-by-80-foot flag weighing 450 pounds is making a dramatic appearance over the Twin Falls canyon this week as part of the Magic Valley 9/11 Memorial.
WATCH: The 450-pound Magic Valley 9/11 Patriot Flag spans 1,700 feet over the Twin Falls canyon, raised by local first responders.
The line holding up the Magic Valley 9/11 Memorial Patriot Flag is suspended 1,700 feet from rim to rim, requiring a coordinated effort from local first responders to get it safely into position.
Brian Stone, a member of the Magic Valley EMT/SORT team, helped secure the rigging system that holds the massive flag in place.
"We have our main curtain line, which is 7/16th AmSteel – has a 21,500 breaking strength and that's what supports the flag – and then we have some movement lines that we are able to position that flag in the canyon," Stone said.
Stone noted that the sheer size and weight of the flag — combined with the powerful winds that move through the canyon — required a robust anchoring system.
"The flag is 450 pounds and so when you put wind force on that, these anchors are holding significant amounts of weight - We have three anchor points that are each rated at about 8 to 10,000 pounds – they're concreted in on both sides. So, we have super redundant anchors on each side here," Stone said.
Stone acknowledged the unique challenge the operation presented, even for a team trained in canyon rescues.
"We train for rescues in the canyon – but this is just a whole different animal," Stone said.
The Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office and the Twin Falls Fire Department also played key roles in the effort. Twin Falls Fire Battalion Chief Corey Beam said the event offered a valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships among first responder agencies.
"To have a non-emergency event that we can come together as teams and make relationships – it just helps when we go out on a real emergency – to be able to work together and coordinate all of our efforts for the good of the community," Beam said.
Magic Valley 9/11 Memorial Director Larae Saufley said the organization is already planning for the long-term future of the Patriot Flag, including building a replacement fund.
"We're taking the best care of it we can, and we hope to have it flying for years to come – eventually it will need to be replaced. So, we are starting our replacement fund for that as well ... so we can keep this going for a really long time," Saufley said.
Following its Friday afternoon unveiling, the Patriot Flag will be on display for approximately one week.
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