Albuquerque firefighters honor 9/11 heroes with stair climb tradition
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
Albuquerque firefighters gathered at Albuquerque Civic Plaza to complete their annual stair climb, honoring the 343 firefighters who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001, attacks.
“We do this every year because it’s important to remember our past,” Lt. Calvin Lang said. “It’s important to remember our history, where we came from, and the firefighters who have sacrificed to get us where we are and to remind us of our culture.”
The tradition began in 2003 when Lt. Chuck Cogburn, deployed in Afghanistan at the time, climbed a two-story building 55 times in full gear to honor those killed at the World Trade Center. The Albuquerque native brought the climb home in 2004, starting the first stair climb in the U.S.
“We’re a family. When we lose anyone, it’s like losing a member of our family,” Lang said. “Those guys went in with no hesitation, no thought. They just went and made the sacrifice.”
Wearing 75 pounds of gear, the firefighters climbed 110 flights of stairs, reflecting on the courage and sacrifice of their fallen colleagues.
“We come together and we push each other through it,” Lang said. “And we remember how hard they had to push to save people. And we try to carry on that same tradition every day.”
After the climb, firefighters marched to a memorial ceremony at Civic Plaza. Some wore photos of fallen colleagues on their helmets, while others held their children. Past and present walked together, vowing to never forget.
At the ceremony, Lynette Rodriguez shared the story of her father, firefighter Anthony Rodriguez, who died on 9/11.
“When you look at my dad’s career, there’s a pretty clear pattern. He spent his life serving other people,” Rodriguez said.
Anthony Rodriguez, a New York native, had just finished his shift when the World Trade Center was attacked.
“He was just getting off shift when the buildings were attacked. Instead of going home, he jumped on the back of an engine, leaving his fire station in Red Hook, Brooklyn,” Lynette said.
He never made it out, leaving behind a pregnant wife who gave birth to their sixth child three days later.
The ceremony at Civic Plaza, filled with black-and-white photos, memorialized those who lost their lives, bridging the past and present as the community vowed to never forget.
Later in the evening, Rio Rancho residents gathered at Vista Verde Memorial Park for another ceremony to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost on that fateful day.
