In honor of the 23rd anniversary of Sept. 11, Columbia County held the second annual 9/11 stair climb and remembrance ceremony on Wednesday morning.
Columbia County Fire Rescue Lt. Evan Davis, said the event is a great way to “honor the fallen heroes from 9/11, Port Authority Police and NYPD.”
“It’s just a great way for the firefighters to be able to contribute to remembering what was done on that day and for the community to come out and watch for the stair climb,” Davis said.
Davis added that it’s great and encouraging to have the community involved in events like the stair climb.
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“When we come out and we do activities like this to where we’re remembering the public safety who went into action that day and they can kind of see what still going on in public safety and how we remember the firefighters for what they did that day with the fire service and the stair climb,” Davis said.
Davis, who participated in the ceremony and stair climb, said stair climb with the gear on is one of the hardest parts of the job and a fitting way to remember the firefighters who were at the World Trade Center.
“Our gear weights 50 pounds without tools and equipment. Add tools and equipment, it can get up to 75 to 100 pounds of weight on your body,” Davis said. “Firefighters that day for FDNY were climbing 80 plus stories to get to the first levels that were hit with fire from the plane impacts. It’s a lot of work, and it takes some time. But it’s a good way to remember through what you’re doing with every step, how much weight you’re carrying and what they did that day.”
During the remembrance ceremony, Columbia County District Captain Steven Parish spoke about the importance of remembering that day.
“Today, and especially after the first day, we vowed to never forget, and that’s what we’re here to do today, to not forget,” Parish said. “By not just having the ceremony, but performing the stair climb… where we truly remember what the men and women of the New York Fire Department, (New York) Police Department, Port Authority and EMS scarified that day by climbing into those towers trying to rescue. So, as we do that today, we remember them and what they went thought as we sweat a little bit, suffer, just like they did that day to remember them.”
Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Staff Sergeant Ray Childress read out a timeline of the attacks that day.
“On Sept. 11, 2001, we, the United States of America, lost 2,794 fellow Americans, all of whom were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, aunts and uncles. Of these, 2,794, 23 were officers of the NYPD, 37 were officers of the Port Authority Police, eight were EMTs and paramedics and last, but certainly not least, 343 brothers and sisters with the FDNY.
A call then went out over from Columbia County dispatch calling for the FDNY, NYPD, NY Port Authority honoring the first responders who died that day. Davis rang a bell to honor those lost.
