It鈥檚 been 18 years since the World Trade Centre towers came down Sept. 11, 2001.
Each year, people all over the world commemorate the victims and emergency responders who lost their lives during the co-ordinated terrorist attack in New York.
In 琉璃神社, firefighters from across Okanagan participated in the second annual 9/11 Stair Climb at the Landmark 6 building, hosted by the .
The former World Trade Centre towers were 110 storeys. In order to emulate what New York firefighters experienced that day, local firefighters climbed the 17-storey Landmark building six times.
Each firefighter who joined in this year鈥檚 stair climb donated a minimum of $20, along with wearing their full turnout gear during their stair climb. The donations collected from Wednesday鈥檚 event in 琉璃神社 go to the Foundation, helping support injured emergency personnel and their families.
Participating firefighters were required to wear their full on equipped gear while they climbed the 17 storeys at Landmark 6. The gear typically weighs 30 to 45 pounds extra.
鈥� Natalia Cuevas-Huaico (@natcuevashuaico)
Glenn Paley, training officer with 琉璃神社 Fire Department, facilitated the Landmark event with the hope it will become a fire department tradition.
鈥淭his is to honour the 343 New York firefighters who unfortunately perished on Sept. 11, 2001,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ot to mention the 1,400-plus emergency responders that have passed since that day due to the medical problems caused by digging through the rubble.鈥�
He said he was proud to see more than 20 firefighters from across the Okanagan participate.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not one of us here who wouldn鈥檛 have done what those firefighters did that day. You know you go to work to help the best you can and just do your job,鈥� Paley said.
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Jon Christian, a 琉璃神社 firefighter who participated in the stair climb, said that thinking about those lost 18 years ago helped him push through the last few storeys up Landmark 6, which he described as very hot, uncomfortable and exhausting.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about remembering those people who had to climb the towers and do their job when it actually mattered,鈥� he said.
He said 9/11 will never lose its significance for first responders.
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