Denver 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb

Tim Tonge Photo ©

The annual Denver 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb was held on September 11th, 2021 at 1801 California St. in Downtown Denver. Firefighters climbed the first 55 flights of stairs carrying equipment, leave the equipment in the basement, and then go on air for the second 55 flights, to simulate arriving at a fire floor and going to work.

The climb started in September of 2005, with members from the Denver Fire Department and Castle Rock Fire Rescue which joined together to climb 110 flights of stairs in memory of the FDNY brothers killed in 2001. 110 stories, was the height of the World Trade Center buildings. The event started as an idea with just 5 firefighters and was originally held at 1999 Broadway in downtown Denver.

The second annual event in 2006 brought a few more firefighters, bringing the total number of participants to 12, and a new venue at 1801 California Street, the Qwest Building. The building is the second tallest in Denver, at 54 stories tall. Climbers start in the basement, and make their way up the length of the building twice; giving the total number of stories climbed to be 110. The firefighters climbing were from the Denver Fire Department, Castle Rock Fire Department, Aurora Fire Rescue, and Littleton Fire Rescue.

As word spread about the stair climb, interest gained. In 2007, the event went from 12 participants in the previous year, to several hundred participants. Participants came from all over the state, including the front range, the mountains, and the western slope.

The 2008 event brought the total number of participants to 343. The organizers capped the number of people at 343, the same number of FDNY firefighters killed on 9/11. The event also included a new element: the idea that you were climbing for someone specifically. Each climber was given a badge to wear around their neck with the name and a photograph of one of the FDNY members killed on 9/11. 2010 brought a new partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Info provided by the Denver 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.