By Fox23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, firefighters across Green Country are continuing a tradition designed to make sure the names and sacrifices of those lost are never forgotten.
Hundreds of first responders gathered Friday for an annual 9/11 stair climb, climbing 110 flights of stairs while carrying the name of a firefighter who died in the attacks.
The 110-floor climb represents the height of the World Trade Center towers and the journey firefighters made as they climbed toward people trapped inside.
For Tulsa Fire Department Captain Jeff Harper, the event is a way to remember the 343 firefighters who died on September 11, 2001.
“It means a lot to us,” Harper said. “One of the big slogans that came out of 9/11 is, ‘We will never forget.’”
For Tulsa Fire Department Lieutenant Victor Grimes, the memories are even more personal.
Grimes was on duty that morning. He was outside putting up a flag when a crew member told him about a fire in New York.
“At first, we just thought it was a high-rise fire,” Grimes said.
Then the second plane hit the World Trade Center.
Grimes said the attacks changed the fire service and the way first responders think about safety and emergencies.
“It makes us more aware on a day-to-day basis,” Grimes said. “We’re more aware of just what’s important, as well as our safety.”
Carrying a name
For some firefighters, the climb is about one person in particular.
Tulsa firefighter Wyatt Brookshire carried the tag of John Burnside, a firefighter assigned to Ladder 20 who died on 9/11.
Brookshire said carrying Burnside’s name was a “huge honor.”
“He made a sacrifice that every man here honors and carries the memory of,” Brookshire said.
Brookshire said he would tell Burnside’s family that their loved one’s sacrifice has not been forgotten.
“They paid a price that we could never repay,” he said. “He’s an inspiration to every man and woman who wears these helmets.”
Sand Springs firefighter Tanner Yates carried the name of Daniel Brady.
Yates said the climb gave him a chance to better understand the challenge firefighters faced that day.
“It’s just really an honor to come out here and remember what they did 25 years ago for us,” Yates said.
A tradition for the next generation
Not everyone taking part Friday remembers 9/11 firsthand.
Clara Harris, with the Russellville Fire Department in Arkansas, was not alive when the attacks happened.
But she said the impact of 9/11 is still felt throughout the fire service.
“It’s completely changed every fire department everywhere, and police department, and just the way we respond to emergencies,” Harris said.
Harris said it is important for younger generations to carry that legacy forward.
“We just have to carry on the legacy of those who were a part of it,” she said.
Grimes said he was especially encouraged to see new firefighter cadets participate in the climb — even before officially joining the job.
He said the tradition gives them an opportunity to learn about the significance of September 11 and the people who gave their lives that day.
Harper said the goal is simple: to keep remembering the firefighters who never came home.
“There’s a lot of tradition in the fire service,” Harper said. “This is not one that you necessarily want, but it’s really important to keep their memory alive.”
