British firefighters to travel to US for 9/11 anniversary stair climb
A group of British firefighters from the northwest are preparing to travel to the US later this year to take part in the memorial stair climb marking 25 years since 9/11.
Firefighters from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, as well as Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, will be joining colleagues from across the UK and Ireland for the memorial event in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 5.
The group will climb the equivalent of 110 floors, the same as the height of the World Trade Center towers in New York, which saw thousands die after planes crashed into the towers.
Some 343 firefighters were killed during the tragedy, with most being killed as the towers collapsed as they attempted to save as many lives as possible.
The 25th anniversary climb will take place at the Atlanta Braves stadium, where firefighters from across the US are expected to join their European counterparts.
Some members of the families directly affected by the attacks are expected to take part.
The group travelling from the UK are raising money for a variety of charities.
In preparation for the task ahead, they have been training inside Manchester Arena, climbing flights of stairs in full firefighting gear.
Jamie Oldfield, a Lancashire firefighter, told the BBC that the event reflected the close ties between firefighters across the globe.
He said: “We're doing this as part of the firefighter family with ourselves in Lancashire and Greater Manchester and also other fire services around the UK.”
The recent record-breaking heatwave has made training for the group particularly difficult, however, Mr Oldfield said it has helped prepare for the hot temperatures in Georgia.
He continued: “The training has been hard, especially this week because of the heat.
“This is one of the reasons why we're doing it at the arena, just to try and simulate the best we can for the conditions that we're going to face when we are in Atlanta.”
Lancashire firefighter Samuel Davis, who was already in the fire service at the time of the attacks, said the memorial event carried particular significance.
He said: “I watched firefighters go into the building and realised their fate once those buildings came down.
“It touched me quite a lot as a young man, so it's a real honour at this stage of my career to go to Atlanta and pay tribute to them.”
During the Memorial Stair Climb event, the group will be raising money for three different charities.
They will be raising money for The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, which supports firefighters and their families across the United States.
They will also be raising money for charities within the UK, with The Fire Fighters Charity providing support for serving and retired firefighters in the UK, as well as the Blue Light Card Foundation, which supports the health and wellbeing of those within the emergency services, social care, health, and the armed forces.
A total of 2,753 people were killed in New York on September 11 2001, with 343 firefighters and 71 police officers among those who died.