Memorial Stair Climb to honor fallen 9-11 firefighters

Monday, April 8, 2019
City of McCook firefighter/paramedics Shane Smith, above, and Rick Metcalf, below, participated in the 2016 National Fallen Firefighters Foundation "9/11 Memorial Stair Climb." The 2019 Memorial Stair Climb will be Friday, April 12, during the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) international convention April 8-13 in Indianapolis, Ind. The climb is not a race, but a way to honor the 343 New York City firefighters who lost their lives during their response to terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
Courtesy photo

McCOOK, Neb. — During the Fire Department Instructors Conference Friday, April 12, five City of McCook firefighters will honor the 343 New York City firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001, in their response to a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Shane Smith, Rick Metcalf, Dan Hartwell, Preston Hueftle and Luke Rinehart, all of McCook, and other firefighters from across the country will symbolically complete the climb of the 110 stories of stairs that challenged New York City firefighters as they made their way to fires and those injured in the attack.

9/11 memorial stair climbs held since that fateful day in American history are not timed races, but a way for firefighters, the community and the profession to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters who selflessly gave their lives so that others might live.

Rick Metcalf
Courtesy photo

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Firefighters participate in memorial stair climbs in full gear — with the option of carrying their air packs. "There's a crazy amount of people who will carry packs," Smith said, obviously impressed. This will be Shane's third memorial climb, Rick's and Dan's second climb and Preston's and Luke's first.

Each participant honors a FDNY firefighter by climbing or walking the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center.

Shane says, "All of the money raised goes toward the FDNY 9/11 Foundation to provide services such as counseling, scholarships and many other needed services for those FDNY members affected by the horrible events on 9/11."

To donate to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and to show support for the McCook firefighters' efforts to never let Americans forget their fellow firefighters' sacrifice on 9/11, check out the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation on its Facebook page, or go to firehero.org.

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The memorial climb culminates the week-long Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) International Convention, trade show and training April 8-13 in Indianapolis, Ind. Smith said the FDIC conference is the premier conference for firefighters and could attract up to 35,000 firefighters from as many as 30 countries. "The level of training we get in Indianapolis and the benefit to our department and to the city are amazing," Shane said.

The FDIC international conference and trade show will offer fire and rescue professionals from the United States and around the world quality world-class instructors, classroom sessions, workshops and the most innovative products and services available to the industry displayed by more than 800 exhibiting companies.

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Expenses to attend the convention for Shane and fellow McCook firefighter Tim Zehnder are covered as fire science instructors at McCook Community College. Rick's, Dan's, Preston's and Luke's expenses are covered by the city fire department's regular training budget.

The level of fire and ambulance response in McCook will not diminish as firefighters and firefighter/paramedics attend the conference, Shane said.

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