Stair climb honors lives lost on 9/11
WALLACE — The local 9/11 stair climb initially was a private matter for Shoshone Fire District No. 1 firefighters wishing to honor their counterparts lost or injured in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but in the seven years since the climb's local start, it has become an event open to all.
Fire Chief John Miller said he is hoping for the climb to return to pre-COVID-19 numbers of participants and observers.
Anyone wanting to participate in the walk and honor fallen first responders or cheer on those trekking up the 110 flights of stairs is invited to participate.
This year’s stair climb takes place at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11, at 604 Hotel St. in Wallace.
“This is the 22nd anniversary of the event, and there are now career and volunteer firefighters that are part of the fire service who were not alive when the events of 9/11 in 2001 took place,” Miller said.
He said he still remembers being told the news as his senior class had its senior photo taken outside in Mt. Juliet, Tenn. The senior festivities fizzled out as students sat stunned after hearing the news of the attacks.
“You can say out loud 'never forget' but physically climbing stairs in gear those men and women were wearing brings a different level of never forgetting,' Miller said. "Never forgetting means realizing that the hazards faced by firefighters in rural America are equal to that of any metro firefighter; it’s the decisions we make and the actions we take that define the level of risk we will be exposed to."
Proceeds from the stair climb support the Jim Welch Memorial Foundation. The foundation provides assistance to the families of first responders — law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and firefighters — who lost their lives or sustained significant injuries in the line of duty in Idaho.
Miller said he first participated in a memorial stair climb in Denver and found the experience to be life-changing in the way it connected him to some of the physical exertion that first responders went through on that fateful day.
“No training or specialized equipment will ever make the duties we perform risk-free, but every minute we dedicate to training and every dollar we spend on improving our equipment is one more opportunity to sway the odds in our favor," Miller said. "An event like this adds to the physical level of having an understanding of the physical toll these men and women had literally on their shoulders."
Stair climb day activities will include a remembrance speech, moment of silence, silent auction and a performance by a bagpiper from Coeur d'Alene Firefighters Pipes and Drums. Everyone in attendance will receive a small ID card of a fallen firefighter to take with them. Wallace Brewing will provide climbers at the top of the stairs with water and snacks.
“We encourage everyone to look up the firefighter they take with you to learn more about them," Miller said. "A lot of firefighters keep these laminated cards with them at work either in their pocket or on their helmet. The total stairs climbed are 110 flights and equal the same height as the World Trade Center."
The stairs used in Wallace present a challenging course and are spaced differently with flat spots and a bit of unequal footing that doesn’t quite allow participants' bodies to “get into a groove.”
Those climbing will be able to walk unencumbered, with gear or with gear as well as equipment, depending on their comfort level.
Contact Miller at jmiller@districtonefire.com for details.
If you go
When: 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 11
Where: 604 Hotel St., Wallace
What: Proceeds from the 9/11 stair climb go to the Jim Welch Memorial Foundation
