City firefighters commemorate 9/11 with memorial stair climb

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CASEY BRADLEY GENT Crew members from the Cape Coral Fire Department took part in a memorial stair climb on Friday in honor of the New York City Fire Department firefighters lost on Sept. 11.

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CASEY BRADLEY GENT View from the top floor of the Engineer Michael Camelo Jr. Training Center in Cape Coral.

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CASEY BRADLEY GENT Cape Coral firefighter John Rippoll pauses at the top after completing the memorial stair climb on Friday in honor of the New York City Fire Department firefighters lost on Sept. 11.

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In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, Cape Coral firefighters spent Friday participating in a memorial stair climb — their second year taking part in the event.

Held for the first time at the Engineer Michael Camelo Jr. Training Center in the Cape, they donned their full bunker gear and made 25 trips up and down the facility’s stairwells in honor of the lives of the New York City Fire Department firefighters lost on 9/11.

Their climb was the equivalent of 110 stories, the height of the World Trade Center towers.

“I was just a little fourth grader in Hollywood, Florida, on 9/11,” firefighter Erick Montoya said. “I remember running home from school and turning on the TV. When I saw the planes crash into those towers, I felt like I needed to do something important to protect this country.”

Montoya later joined the U.S. military and served in Afghanistan, before joining the Cape Coral Fire Department.

“This stair climb is just another way to honor those 343 brothers who we lost 25 years ago,” he said.

Training Lt. Jason Clugston said the gear that firefighters wear in the line of duty weighs about 62 pounds. Sweating heavily as they made it to the top of the final stairwell, the firefighters touched their open palms to several strings of lights hung in the shape of an American flag.

The climb served as an opportunity for them to reflect on the responsibility that comes with wearing the fire service uniform. Firefighter John Rippoll appeared emotional as he knelt at the top of the tower after finishing his memorial stair climb.

Engineer Dan Papp described the event as very important.

“There were 343 first responders who we lost that day,” he said. “This is a way to honor their sacrifice.”

While the event was closed to the public, fellow firefighters and their families gathered outside of the center to encourage the climbers and to ensure that the sacrifices of Sept. 11 are never forgotten.

The Engineer Michael Camelo Jr. Training Center is at 2120 SW 32nd St., Cape Coral.