Captain Chris Warren with Squad 13 leads a group of Chattanooga firefighters up the stairs.
Firefighters from 12 area fire departments gathered at the SunTrust Building on Market Street Saturday morning to participate in the first ever 9/11 Stair Climb in Chattanooga. The 9/11 Stair Climb is a tribute to the 343 firefighters who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001.
Saturday's observance began with brief ceremony to kick off the event, with bagpipe music, prayer, and a description of what the 9/11 Stair Climb was about. Senior Firefighter Britt Bradshaw said that when the planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the New York firefighters made it all the way up the 70th floor, and did their jobs trying to save people before the two towers collapsed, killing all who were inside. Firefighter Bradshaw said they never made it to the top. That’s why they were climbing the equivalent of 110 floors, to symbolically finish the climb for them.
Each firefighter made the climb in honor of two firefighters who were killed in the twin towers. Wearing full turnout gear, they started on the 3rd floor and climbed to the 17 floor in the SunTrust Building, and they had to repeat that eight times. Some even added to the weight by carrying hose packs, which is what the New York firefighters had to do. It was hot and humid in the stairwell, and exhausting for the firefighters. They were joined by some civilians, who wanted to pay their own tribute to the fallen firefighters. There were 120 participants overall, most of whom were firefighters.
After making the climb, the firefighters walked outside and read aloud the names of the two firefighters they were honoring, and then rang a bell twice to complete their tribute. In addition to the 343 firefighters who died on 9/11, 70 law enforcement officers and nine EMTs were also killed.
Firefighter Bradshaw said 100 percent of the proceeds from this event will go to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Participating fire departments came from the following cities and counties: Bradley County, Catoosa, Chattanooga, Christianburg, Cookeville, Dunlap, East Ridge, Highway 58, Holly Springs, Jasper, Tri-Community and Whitfield.
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Photos of the New York firefighters who died on 9/11 were posted along the stairwell in the SunTrust Building.