CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)— Cape Coral firefighters participated in a memorial stair climb to honor the 343 FDNY firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11.
The event took place at the Engineer Michael Camelo Jr. Training Center located at 2120 SW 32nd Street. Firefighters climbed the equivalent of 110 stories, the height of the World Trade Center towers, as the nation marked the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
WINK News reporter Bianca Smith was there to cover the event. For Cape Coral firefighters, the climb was an opportunity to remember the brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice and reflect on the responsibility that comes with wearing the fire service uniform.
Cape Coral Fire Chief Mike Russell explained the significance of the exercise.
“We simulate the stair climb to remember the challenges that those firefighters in New York City had to go through traversing all of those stories up to fight the fire,” Russell said. “So he’s going to put on his air pack, and then we’re going to do 25 trips up and down, which simulates the 110 stories of the World Trade Center, and normally he would have some extra tools and hose to take with him to that firefight.”
Russell noted the climb was optional for all Cape Coral firefighters.
“This is optional for all the firefighters in Cape Coral that they come out here and do this stair climb in memory of everyone we lost on September 11th,” Russell said.
Cape Coral police officers also participated in the memorial climb. Students from the Ida Baker High School fire academy program were invited and joined the event as well.
The climb ensured that the courage and sacrifice of September 11 are never forgotten.
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