On the National Day of Service and Remembrance, members of Pryor Fire Station No. 2 honored the 2,977 people killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by completing a symbolic stair climb inside the Burdick Center.
The climb calls for participants to complete 2,200 steps, representing a full climb of all 110 stories—the total height of each of the Twin Towers.
Firefighters made their way down from the top of the bleachers before turning and climbing back up in a weaving pattern. They repeated the route around the gym while wearing their full protective equipment, which weighs approximately 70 to 80 pounds.
Students inside the Burdick Center watched the firefighters complete the climb and discussed the physical difficulty of the challenge and the dedication required to finish it. The experience helped students better understand the sacrifice represented by each step.
Don Hess was working for the Pryor Fire Department on September 11, 2001. He recalled being asleep in his bunk when another firefighter woke him and told him, “You’ve got to get up. You’ve got to see this.”
James Baumert was a volunteer firefighter at the time. He learned of the attacks before the second tower fell and watched the tragedy unfold on television.
As the firefighters completed the climb, fellow department members met them along the upper mezzanine with water. Hess explained that the heat trapped inside their protective suits was likely an even greater challenge than the weight of the equipment. Although the suits are designed to protect firefighters from external heat, they also hold in body heat during intense physical activity.
The climb represents the extraordinary effort made by first responders who entered the Twin Towers to help others. The highest floor reached by first responders that day was the 78th floor.
Of the 2,977 victims killed on September 11, 2,606 died in New York City, 125 died at the Pentagon, and 246 passengers and crew members died aboard American Airlines Flights 11 and 77 and United Airlines Flights 175 and 93. The vast majority of those killed were civilians.
Among the first responders who died in New York were 343 members of the New York City Fire Department, including firefighters and paramedics; 23 New York City police officers; and 37 Port Authority police officers. Other law enforcement and military personnel also lost their lives.
The Pryor firefighters’ climb commemorated not only those who died on September 11, but also the many people who have since died from illnesses and other causes connected to the attacks.
Through this act of service and remembrance, members of Pryor Fire Station No. 2 honored the courage, sacrifice, and memory of all those affected by September 11, 2001.