On September 11, 2001, the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department responded to the United Airlines Flight 93 crash scene to search for survivors.

It is widely held that the Flight 93 hijackers intended to use the aircraft to attack the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC.

[2] After witnessing the crash, Rick drove into Shanksville to his family-owned store, grabbed his firefighting gear and headed to the fire station, where he informs the dispatcher "This is a large jetliner, probably related to what’s going on [in New York and Washington]" and, along with three on-duty firefighters - Keith Custer, Merle Flick and Robert Kelly - arrived at the crash site within seven or eight minutes.

New York City fire fighters donated a memorial made from a steel cross from the World Trade Center and mounted atop a platform shaped like the Pentagon.

[10] In 2021, Terry Shaffer - the department's chief at the time of the September 11th attacks - was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure.