On Sept. 11, firefighters will gather at the Qwest Building in Denver to remember the 343 firefighters lost at the World Trade Center on the same day in 2001. Wearing full turnout gear and carrying hose packs and tools, they will climb a total of 110 flights of stairs ñ equivalent to the same climb that New York City firefighters made on 9/11.Falcon Fire Protection District firefighters will take part in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb for the fifth time since the eventís inception in 2005.What began as a handful of Denver and Castle Rock firefighters honoring their 343 brothers has grown into an event that draws hundreds from fire departments all over the state. In 2008, event organizers capped the number of participants at 343 ñ the same as the number of FDNY firefighters killed on 9/11. They also added another feature: Each climber carries a badge bearing the name and photo of one of those 343 firefighters.In 2011, more than 60 climbs were held around the world, attracting more than 10,000 participants. Registration fees are donated to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which provides a variety of services to firefighters and their families, including the families of 9/11 firefighters and those suffering from lung disease related to work at Ground Zero.The FFPD will again team up with the Cimarron Hills Fire Department to field 15 participants for this yearís climb. Participants will climb in teams of five or six, led by an officer or senior firefighter, and make two trips up 55 flights of stairs to equal a 110-story climb.ìThis event is extremely meaningful,î said Matt Suebe, FFPD firefighter and participant. ìIt allows each of us to build a higher level of camaraderie, and to show our respect for all those who perished that day.†What makes this event even more real for all that attend is the members of FDNY who are present that were personally affected by the event that day. The moment the bagpipes play before the climb commences is a sound that resonates in your heart.î
