The Canadian Volunteer Fire Department has announced plans for its third annual tribute to the 9/11 firefighters—this one on Sunday, Sept. 11—marking the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.

Canadian VFD’s Climb to Remember was first held in 2020. Its 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.

L ast year, the firefighters were joined by men and women, dressed in work clothes and running gear; by young children not fully aware of the history that brought them, but eager to climb with their friends and parents; by a small group of Wildcat football players; and by some who simply stood witness to the somber anniversary of the day our nation was irrevocably changed.

This year, Canadian’s firefighters will assemble again, beginning at 8 am at the stadium. They invite the public to join them for all or part of the stair climb, and will even have some extra bunker gear with them in case anyone else wants to try it on. Coffee and donuts will be available 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.

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 prior to the first “Climb to Remember” event, “Seventy percent of firefighters in this country are volunteers. We do it to support and protect, and to give back to our communities.”

Mayor Bartlett’s son, firefighter Bryan Bartlett, also noted the significance of the day—both in terms of the country’s past, and its uncertain future.

“Twenty-one years ago, we were attacked,” he said. “Back then, we came together as a country. I think we could really use that—to come together again.”

“Our country is really divided right now,” he added. “We need to remember that we are all Americans. We need to come together again and remember the ones who sacrificed their lives for us.”

“It’s an important thing to get out and do this together,” Bartlett noted. “We used to do so much more as a community. How times have changed.”

On Sunday, Sept. 11, Canadian’s firefighters will climb again to remember. They should not do so alone.

PHOTO BY LAURIE EZZELL BROWN | THE RECORD