Captain Luke McCormick with the Great Bend Fire Department participated in the Kansas City Memorial Stair Climb for the fifth year this past weekend to honor those firefighters that lost their lives from the September 11, 2001 tragedy in New York City.

McCormick was one of 343 firefighters that embarked on the stair climb at Town Pavilion in downtown Kansas City in remembrance of the 343 firefighters killed.

Luke McCormick Audio

Since 2011, the Kansas City 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb has filled its capacity of 343 firefighters with the help of over 80 departments from eight states. McCormick says his group consisted of a firefighter from Stafford County and two from Newton, including former Great Bend firefighter Lucas McNally.

There were 110 floors with 22 steps each flight for a total of 2,420 steps the firefighters had to climb while honoring one of the fallen FDNY firefighters.

Luke McCormick Audio

McCormick mentioned it is incredible to think that the firefighters on September 11 went into a structure that was deemed unsafe, made the journey up the stairs with all their gear, and then had the energy to perform firefighting operations.