9 September 2016

Memorial Firefighter Climb honours heroes lost

More than 160 firefighters will climb the stairs of the Sky Tower this Sunday in memory of firefighters lost in the September 11 World Trade Centre attacks, as well as honouring those New Zealand firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The Memorial Firefighter Stair Climb personally honours every firefighter lost in the line of duty, with the names of all 343 firefighters from the New York Fire Department and all 57 names of New Zealand firefighters lost read out, followed by a prayer. Each firefighter then carries a special tag with the name of an individual firefighter lost in the line of duty, dedicating their climb to the memory of that person.

2016 marks the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and New Zealand firefighters will be the first in the world to hold a memorial event on the day, with New York firefighters tuning in from the United States to watch a live stream of the New Zealand event at their local firehouses.

Tony Scott of the Auckland Airport Rescue Fire Service started the memorial climb following the 2009 cool store fire in Tamahere, Hamilton, where several Kiwi firefighters lost their lives. The event sees firefighters from around New Zealand and the United States come together to remember those lost; a nod to the fire service’s strong sense of camaraderie worldwide.

New York Firefighter Chief, Steven San Filippo played a key role in the rescue operations at ‘Ground Zero’ following the World Trade Centre attack, and will be attending the event.

The Memorial Firefighter Stair Climb is on Sunday 11 September, starting at 1.30pm at the Sky Tower. This is the second year the event has been held at the Sky Tower.

ENDS

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