On the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attack, to commemorate the men and women that dedicated their lives responding to the tragedy, some of my friends and I who are volunteer firefighters simulated going through what the firefighters went through, going up the 110 flights of stairs to rescue people.

I decided to do this because a family friend responded to the attack on the Towers and lived to tell the tale with lung cancer as a result. Landon Hasbrouck, senior, is a firefighter too and he did the 110 flights on Sunday September 7, and ran a mile with all his gear on September 11. We ran in memory of the people that did the unimaginable because they are brothers in red.

The gear that the fire department gave me foor this task is: a 15 .lb unfilled tank, bunker jacket and pants, and boots.  I took on this challenge by myself at the bleachers of the football field at 3:00 p.m.,   “This is going to be a challenge to me mentally and physically.”

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In the beginning, I was enthusiastic and had high energy.  As I started to climb, I started to sweat because of my long sleeves and helmet.  My muscles started to shake and I got a wave of tiredness.  As I climbed farther, my calves were burning, and I was questioning how they did this?

I gained an even better appreciation for what they did that day.  Up to 70 flights of stairs,  my gear was starting to get really heavy.  My gear was covered in sweat and my calves were burning.  On 80 flights of stairs, my friend, Colin Dufala, encouraged me to go further and did it with me.  On the 87th, the CHS football team stopped by with fist bumps, encouragement, and gear adjustments from other volunteer firefighters.

I reached the 100 mark, tired, face flushed, but glad it’s almost over!  At 110 flights of stairs complete,  I felt accomplished, proud, and tired as people congratulated me on my way down to the field. The entire thing took an hour and 10 minutes, and I felt a bond with my gear.