Climbing to Honor the Fallen

9:48 a.m., September 11, 2001
Ladder 15: “Battalion Fifteen to Battalion Seven.”
Battalion Seven: “Go Ladder 15.”
Ladder 15: “What do you got up there, Chief?”
Battalion Seven Chief: “I’m still in boy stair, 74th floor. No smoke or fire problems, walls are breached, so be careful.”
Ladder 15: “Yeah Ten-Four, I saw that on 68. Alright, we’re on 71. We’re coming up behind you."
Battalion Seven Chief: “Ten-four.”
Ladder 15: “Let me know when you see more fire.”
Battalion Seven Chief: “I found a marshall on 75.”   

Eleven minutes later, the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed.   

This lost transmission was found a year later by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The voice on the tape is that of FDNY Battalion Chief Orio Palmer as he organized the evacuation of people injured by the hijacked plane’s impact.

Before transmissions like this, investigators believed that firefighters had only gotten as high as the 50th floor in each tower, well below most damage. Here was evidence revealing a startling achievement: firefighters in the south tower had reached a floor struck by the plane. At least two firefighters had reached the crash zone on the 78th floor.   

The breathless voice of Palmer, a marathon runner, remained cool and collected amidst unimaginable stress, after dashing up dozens of flights of stairs.   

It may seem like morbid motivation, but when I first heard about the Fight for Air Stair Climb, my first thought was, “Some of the guys on 9/11 went up 70 floors only to die. I can do 34.”   

Sometimes called a “vertical road race,” the Stair Climb is a fundraising event for the American Lung Association that takes place in prominent skyscrapers across the country. In addition to other participants, firefighter teams raise funds and raise the bar against other departments.   

April 6 marked the 6th annual climb in Hartford and the 2nd time that the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company has organized a team. A total of 29 fire department-related teams made the demanding climb in full gear and air packs – which adds an extra 50 to 70 pounds of weight.

This year’s climb moved from Hartford 21 to City Place, adding 55 steps to the challenge. In all, the Haddam team climbed 34 floors and about 750 steps on the way to raising more than $1,800 for the ALA. The climbers were Jay Selmer, Jeff Doskos, Rob Lenois, Robert Norton Jr., Kyle Kuchyt, Nick Stekl and Jesse Drake.

Haddam finished 9th out of 27 fire department teams, averaging 10 minutes and 10 seconds. Team Captain Jay Selmer finished his fire climb at 7:29 (he also competed in a non-fire group, finishing in less than 5 minutes). Both Jay and Jeff Doskos finished second in their respective age groups. 

I knew it would be tough. Even though I survived a practice climb a week earlier, it proved to be the greatest physical challenge of my life.

I tried not to start too fast out of the gate, and vowed not to let a bunch of people pass me. Jay would – that was a given. My history’s a little fuzzy but I believe they based the movie “Braveheart” on him (he runs 10 miles through the woods for fun). But knowing that my wife was at the 26th floor taking photos helped me stay at a good pace. 

Sore-limbed and panting at about the 20th floor, my heart pounded and my calves begged me to stop. I was weary and cranky, and while I appreciated the enthusiasm of volunteers cheering me on every few floors, the more I’d climb, the more they seemed like witnesses to an execution. 

But I pressed on and was third in my group to reach the top. Whenever I’d whine or tell myself I couldn’t do it, I’d think of guys like Battalion Chief Palmer who climbed 70 floors only to die. It was all I needed to push through. 

I’m humbled by the all those who have gone before me – the older firefighters at the Stair Climb who kicked my butt, the teams on live air, but especially the men and women of the Fire Service who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

That’s why I climb: To breathe for those who no longer can.


Do You Have What It Takes? Find more information on the activities of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. and ways you can get involved at our website www.HaddamFire.com, or find us on Facebook.