ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Norman "Jay" Bannon IV and Jason Schaffer of Aberdeen Proving Ground Fire and Emergency Services were among 200 firefighters from around the country who recently climbed 110 flights at the Hilton Baltimore to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and honor the memory of victims of Sept. 11, 2001.
Because the Hilton is 20 stories tall, participants of the 2014 Memorial Stair Climb on July 18 trekked up a side stairwell there five-and-a-half times to reach 110 flights, the same number as those in the World Trade Center towers.
Climb events are held across the nation for the foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial and emotional assistance to families of firefighters who fell in the line of duty.
Bannon, a six-year fire department veteran who works at APG South (Edgewood), said Battalion Chief Jimmy Ray alerted post firefighters about the climb earlier this month. The $60 registration for the two participants from APG was sponsored by the department's chief officers.
"I was intimidated about doing it, but I knew I'd do everything in my power to do it," Bannon said.
He said participating in the climb was particularly meaningful because the foundation has provided aid and comfort to the family of his late uncle, David R. Barr Jr., a captain with the Community Fire Company of Perryville, Maryland. Barr, 64, died in the line of duty last November.
"I saw firsthand what the foundation did for my aunt and cousins. I wanted to give back," Bannon said.
Schaffer, 36, who started working for the fire department at APG North (Aberdeen) in January, said he was inspired by the memory of 9/11 victims.
"This was an opportunity to honor the men and women who lost their lives that day and the firefighters who went into a situation they probably knew they wouldn't get through," he said. "What we went through [during the climb] was minimal to what those guys did. This was a small way to honor them."
Bannon said climbing 110 flights in one morning was no small feat. "Every trip [up the stairs] was between 35 and 45 minutes," he said. "It wasn't easy, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I just tried to keep a steady, moderate pace."
Only groups of five firefighters at a time were allowed to climb the stairs (and then take the elevator back down). Bannon and Schaffer -- both of whom wore full firefighter gear -- were joined by colleagues from Kentucky and other parts of Maryland.
"It was a continuous loop," Bannon said. "The first two-and-a-half trips were the hardest for me. You got into a groove after that. … I would say it's probably the hardest thing I've done physically, but also one of the most rewarding. Knowing I'm benefitting a good cause and honoring the 343 firefighters not able to finish that journey [on 9/11], I felt I was completing a journey for those who could not."
Schaffer said he thought he was in peak physical shape before the climb.
"I was fine for the first 70 [flights], but then it wore me down," he said. "You definitely slow your pace after that. By 110, I was pretty exhausted. Your muscles start cramping on you.
"
Helping the firefighters' morale were the hotel staff and guests in the lobby cheering them on every time they got off the elevator and prepared to climb the stairs again. Also inspiring Bannon was the memory of Father Mychal Judge, a New York City Fire Department chaplain who died on 9/11. Each climb participant was asked prior to the event to take the identification card of a 9/11 firefighter victim, and Bannon chose Judge.
"I knew his story, that he was the first firefighter given a death certificate on 9/11, and something drew me to his card," Bannon said. "I was asking for his help when going up those steps the first couple of times."
To prepare for the climb, Bannon said he routinely stretched out a few days prior to the event and ate bananas regularly for increased potassium to help prevent leg cramps. He also made sure to be properly hydrated.
Bannon said he and the other firefighters chatted frequently while trekking the stairway. "If anyone needed a break, we stopped together," he said. "We checked on each other constantly. Firefighters stick together, no matter what."
Reaching the 110th flight provided a euphoric sensation, Bannon said. "There was a feeling of relief, but also that you really accomplished something," he said.
He said he and his wife, Jenn, hope their sons, Jake, 7, and Aidan, 6, learned something by watching their father participate in the climb.
"It was a good opportunity to teach them about honor and respect and what you can do for others," said Bannon, who plans to participate in other climbs later this year. "I hope this showed them you can do things for others and make a sacrifice."
Schaffer said he also plans to undertake more climbs in the future. "I'll be back next year, hopefully bringing more guys," he said. "It was just so cool to meet other firefighters from all over and have everyone together. It meant a lot to me."
Social Sharing