The Waycross Fire Department and community members observed the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 last week with the Fourth Annual 9/11 Stair Climb at the James E. Blackburn Sr. Public Safety Training Center.
The four-event challenge honors fallen first responders and others from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York City. WFD Chief Jim Blackburn said about 80 people participated September 12 in each or some of the stair climb, push-ups, pull-ups and memorial run/walk that comprise the challenge.
The genesis of the annual observance grew from a group discussion among firefighters.
“Since we had the training tower, we wanted to replicate the steps the New York City firefighters and other first responders walked that day at the towers,” Chief Blackburn said. “It started off just the city and (Ware) county fire departments, but got really big last year with people from the community coming.”
The stair climb covers 111 flights in the towers, with 343 push-ups and the 3.43 kilometer walk/run for the number of fallen NYFD personnel. The 71 pull-ups represented the fallen NYPD members.
“We wanted to theme it somehow and that’s what we came up with,” Chief Blackburn said. “The real He-Men will do all or parts of it all.”
The first three were held on the anniversary day of 9/11. It was moved to the closest Saturday to the date in hopes of making it a more community-oriented event, Chief Blackburn said.
“We’d like to make it something official where everyone can come and remember 9/11 and honor those who sacrificed,” he said. “It gives the public a chance to experience the training facility. We’ll see how it evolves.”
Regardless of the observance’s future form, it’s an indelible date in the nation’s history and should be treated as such everywhere, Chief Blackburn said.
“We have guys in the firehouse who weren’t born when it happened,” he said. “If we don’t do something to promote it, it could be forgotten. We can’t let that happen.”
WFD personnel participated in another event the previous day in conjunction with 9/11. Kroger’s Atlanta Division held a “Stock the Station” drive at its stores in Georgia, South Carolina and Eastern Alabama for the public to donate a variety of drinks, snacks and other items to first responders.
In addition to the public’s response at the local Kroger on Memorial Drive, the Coca-Cola Company in Waycross donated beverages to local first reponders.
“We’re grateful for the response from everyone,” Chief Blackburn said. “We appreciate everything the members of the community and businesses do for us.”
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