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Firefighters climb stairs in honor of 9/11
new deh city update stair climb pic web
Great Bend Fire Department Capt. Luke McCormick and firefighter Tony Leeds are shown at the Town Pavilion in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 11 where they participated in the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. - photo by COURTESY PHOTO

 It was a time to honor those who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and a time to honor their own.

Great Bend Fire Department Capt. Luke McCormick and firefighter Tony Leeds participated in the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at the Town Pavilion in Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 11. During this event, they climbed 110 floors while wearing full bunker gear in order to represent the number of floors in the World Trade Center and honor the firefighters that sacrificed their lives on that fateful day.

Both McCormick and Leeds have taken part in this commemoration for several years.

The first “9/11 Memorial Stair Climb” occurred in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, on Sept. 11, 2003, when Albuquerque Fire Department Lt. Charles Cogburn scaled a two story building 55 times wearing body armor, a helmet and an M-4. Cogburn returned home and on the following Sept. 11th, 2004, the climb was held in the United States for the first time. 

The Albuquerque Firefighters Memorial Stair Climb took place at downtown bank. The bank building is 22 stories tall and was climbed five times.  

In 2005 five Denver area firefighters climbed 110 floors at the Denver 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. 

After that, several other climbs joined Albuquerque and Denver. The events are sanctioned by the Association of Memorial Stair Climbs.

In 2010 the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation reached out to the founders of the Denver event to develop a protocol to hold similar events across the country. The Nashville 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb was held in 2010 and was the first to fall under the NFFF. Redwood City, Calif., also held it’s first event in 2010.

In 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, over 40 climbs were held across the United States. Climb participants honor the first responders (343-plus firefighters, 70-plus law enforcement officers and nine-plus EMTs) who were killed by climbing the equivalent of 110 floors (the height of the former World Trade Center twin towers) while carrying the name and picture of one of the fallen. 

This item was included in City Administrator Howard Partington’s departmental update given during the City Council meeting Monday night. Other highlights included:

Fire/EMS/Inspection/Code Enforcement

• Inspector Mark Orth and the firefighters have been working hard to prepare for Fire Prevention Week. This year’s Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 10 through Oct. 14. The firefighters will once again go into the local schools to educate students on fire safety and prevention.

• Inspector Lee Schneider is working on reviewing plans for Sweet Cakes in the old Village Cinema Mall. He also just completed the plan review for the Baltzell Motel remodel following their recent structure fire.

• Code Enforcement: 34 open cases; two cases closed; and 32 follow-ups on existing cases.

Public Works

• Sprayed for mosquitoes on Thursday the week of Sept. 12. We will be spraying on Thursdays Sept. 22 and 29, and Oct. 5.

• Traffic Control for the 9/11 Law Enforcement Parade.

• Pothole patching at various locations throughout the city.

• Install four new residential water services on 31st Sreet, east of Washington.

Public Lands

• Airport Manager Martin Miller invites everyone in the community and especially all city council members to attend the Great Bend stop on the 2016 Fly Kansas Air Tour from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Great Bend Municipal Airport.

• As was discussed at the budget work session the City is a proud partner in the creation of the new fit trail at Veterans Memorial Park. It will be located near the new restrooms.

Police

• Members of the Police Department participated in the First Responders Appreciation Parade on Sept. 11. Chief Cliff Couch rode horseback at the start of the parade with Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

Administration

• Retailers are on another mission to join in the Panther Pride for October. Community Coordinator Christina Hayes is helping organize a Panther Pride Push where participating retailers and groups wear red and black on Fridays. Folks can stop in and get their Panther Pride wristband for Free, take a selfie with the store and support the Great Bend High School Panthers. 

• The Sunflower Rod and Custom Association had nothing but good things to say about the Great Bend drag strip complex, Hayes said. They called it a “five-star restaurant” and all the other tracks in the state merely fast food places. “This is a really great thing for Great Bend.”

• This weekend is the Hans Brothers Supercross Shootout both Saturday and Sunday will be packed with fun at the Motocross Track at the Expo Grounds.

• Zoo Boo is the next big city event and will take place on Oct. 29.