Why I Climb:
In 2022, Mission BBQ opened a new location in Hamilton, NJ. I had the privilage of working as the Community Ambassador, and worked closely with surrounding Fire, Police, EMS and Military groups. As we approached our first annual 9/11 ceremony, I was faced with a challenge: having grown up in Florida and not having any memories of 2001, I felt as though I did not understand the scope of the event. This was compounded by the fact that several of the fire stations I now served as CA had in some cases moved north to cover the stations left empty from going into NYC, supported the operations over the following days, weeks, and months, had a piece of the rubble themselves, or lost one of their members or loved ones. Who was I to lead our 9/11 ceremony when I didn't understand it myself?
I went to New York City and visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and spent hours combing through the exhibits, taking in the stories and memories of those lost, and those left behind to share them. The impact on the first responders, the culture it had instilled in FDNY, the outpouring of grief, and the heart and soul put into each part of the displays is something that will stay with me forever. It was these ideas that I carried with me into our 9/11 ceremony back in NJ, and, following this, had decided I would no longer be a bystander, and wanted to help people however I could.
6 months later, a member of Hope Fire Company from Allentown, NJ, came into the Mission BBQ in Hamilton, and handed me an application to join the fire company as a volunteer. I was asked to come in for an interview, and one hour later I was given a key fob and fitted for my first set of bunker gear. I was sent through the Mercer County Fire Academy and completed my Firefighter 1 course. A few months later, I completed basic certification for Wildland Firefighting. And in May 2024, I joined the Jacobstown Volunteer Fire Company to begin training to be an EMT, later earning my NREMT and NJ EMT license in December 2024.
It is in no small part thanks to the 9/11 Memorial that I was inspired to try to continue the traditions and examples set by the 343 firefighters that gave their all on that day, and I hope that through this climb I can continue to remind myself what it means to be part of the Fire Service, and carry the torch in their memory.
The Story behind Tunnel to Towers:
Each year since 2015, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has held the Tunnel to Towers Tower Climb NYC at One World Observatory at One World Trade Center in New York City. One thousand participants climb 104 stories, symbolizing strength, hope and the resiliency of the American spirit.
The event celebrates the life and sacrifice of all 9/11 heroes, including FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller and FDNY Captain Billy Burke.
On September 11, 2001, Stephen Siller, a FDNY firefighter assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1, had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers. He suddenly got word over his scanner that an airplane had hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Stephen drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, strapped 60 lbs. of gear to his back and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers. There, he gave up his life while saving others.
Captain William F. Burke, Jr. and his men were on the 27th floor of the North Tower when the South Tower collapsed. Billy immediately alerted the Captain of Ladder Co. 6 and the Officer of Ladder Co. 24, his original company, of the collapse. They, along with their men, immediately evacuated along with a number of civilians they were assisting, all surviving. Minutes later the North Tower collapsed and Billy perished along with the other innocents on September 11, 2001. He selflessly repeated, “keep going, I’m right behind you,” to keep his men moving to safety.
The view from One World Observatory at the top of One World Trade Center is nothing short of spectacular. After making the emotional climb, participants explore expansive, panoramic views in every direction from a unique perspective. One of the major highlights, of course, is viewing the two reflecting pools that mark the footprints of where the Twin Towers once stood.
