The Canadian Volunteer Fire Department is gearing up for its second tribute to the 9/11 firefighters—this one on Saturday, Sept. 11, marking the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

Canadian firefighter Bryan Bartlett said they are calling this event, “A Climb to Remember.”

Last year, 10 Canadian VFD members walked a total of 15,000 steps in full gear at Wildcat Stadium, paying homage to the firefighters who climbed 2,071 steps, lugging 60 pounds of equipment, in a valiant attempt to evacuate the occupants of the World Trade Center towers.

This year, the firefighters plan to assemble again, beginning at 8 am at the stadium. They are inviting the public to join them for all or part of the stair climb, said Bartlett, and will even have some extra bunker gear with them in case anyone else wants to try it on. They will also have Brown Bag coffee and donuts for all who wish to join them in the memorial.

Those who choose to go the full distance will climb 54 flights on the stadium’s home side. That is 2,100 steps, in all.

In addition to their traditional flag service, the Canadian Rotary Club will provide flags for the football run-through at the start of the Friday night, Sept. 10, football game. Those flags will also be displayed the next day, as the firemen climb the stadium stairs.

On Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 am, an American Airlines 767 loaded with jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the 110-story building. The impact instantly killed hundreds of people and trapped hundreds more above the 80th floor, where flames burned through a gaping hole.

Eighteen minutes later, a second Boeing 767 appeared in the sky, turned toward the World Trade Center, and struck the skyscraper’s south tower near the 60th floor, leaving no doubt that either collision was accidental.

An hour later, a Boeing 767 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon, creating an inferno that killed 125 military personnel and civilians, as well as the 64 passengers onboard. In another 15 minutes, the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, followed within 30 minutes by the collapse of the north tower.

As passengers onboard United Flight 93—which had just taken off from Newark Liberty International—listened to news of those events, their airplane was hijacked by four men. Knowing with grave certainty what was ahead, the passengers and flight attendants resisted the terrorists. Their plane crashed in a field in western Pennsylvania, killing all 44 aboard.

Altogether, 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks, as well as the 19 hijackers. More than 6,000 others were injured. Most of those who died were civilians, except for 343 firefighters and paramedics, and 71 law enforcement officers.

As Mayor Terrill Bartlett reminded his fellow firefighters last year, “Seventy percent of firefighters in this country are volunteers. We do it to support and protect, and to give back to our communities.”

And on Saturday, Sept. 11, they will climb again to remember.

PHOTO BY LAURIE EZZELL BROWN | THE RECORD