“That's a level of physical exertion that we can't even remotely comprehend, but the climb is not easy, it's meant to make you remember some of the efforts that they went through.” “The mission of the FDNY members on September 11th was to climb those stairs while rescuing people and to potentially fight fire when they got up in the upper floors,” said Oren Bersagel-Briese, division chief of training for the Castlerock fire and rescue department. Beaty/Denverite Aurora firefighters Justin Brown (right to left) and Sean Christon instruct Brown's kids, Zion and Selah, on how to change batteries in air tanks that will be used for a stair climb to honor first responders killed on Sept. Then September rolled around, and they decided to climb on the anniversary of 9/11. The climb started in Denver in 2005 by a small group of firefighters who were training together every month. “It's just a reminder and a good yearly reminder of why I chose this job.” “It re-establishes that oath, it’s kinda like reestablishing your marriage vows you know every once in a while,” he said. If anything, the events of 9/11 solidified his commitment to being a first responder. He finished training as a firefighter in December 2001. You need to clear your mind.” Courtesy Jamie Kraus Firefighters choose a badge of one of the fallen 343 firefighters from 9/11 and climb in that person's honor.īrown has climbed every year since 2007. “Get in that stairwell and that's when it's time to go and you need to pace yourself,” Brown said “You need to think about the person you're climbing for. It’s hot and muggy in the stairwell with so many people and so much physical exertion.īefore the climb, the firefighters choose a badge with the photo and name of one of the firefighters who died. They wear full gear that weighs upward of 85 pounds including their jackets and pants. They start on the loading dock and climb 55 flights, twice, using a freight elevator to go down in between rounds. It’s an office building - the second tallest one in the city. The firefighters will climb the stairs at 1801 California St.

9 11 first responders stories