BALTIMORE — Saturday marked 23 years since the September 11 attacks on New York City’s World Trade Center.
Maryland firefighters gathered at M&T Bank Stadium for a memorial stair climb, remembering the 343 firefighters who lost their lives that day. Hundreds of first responders and local residents participated in the event.
This event is very important to us. We want to make sure the memory of 9/11 is never forgotten,” said Mya McConnell, Battalion Chief at the Baltimore City Fire Department.
The stair climb serves as a tribute to the fallen firefighters and symbolically completes their mission to save lives. Participants climb the equivalent of 110 stories, the height of the World Trade Center towers.
Many wore fire gear or weighted vests as they climbed. “We push each other to honor our fallen brothers and sisters, said Ruth Blackwell, a firefighter paramedic.
Mendez King, now a firefighter, was just 11 years old during the attacks. Being in the fire service now, it brings everything full circle. We come together to support one another, he shared.
The event also supports the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which helps families and survivors of fallen firefighters. They gave everything, and it’s an honor to remember their bravery, said Bryan Frank, an EMT firefighter.