Firefighters to travel to US for 9/11 stair climb

Members of Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) will head to the United States to take part in a memorial stair climb to honour colleagues who died in 9/11.

The event, in Atlanta, will see firefighters climb 110 floors in full firefighting kit, each carrying the name and photograph of one of the 343 New York firefighters who died in the terrorist attack 25 years ago.

Kent firefighters taking part include crews from Maidstone, Chatham, Dartford and Westerham.

Ben Cook-Williams, from KFRS, said it was "incredibly humbling" to take part in the charity event and that "9/11 changed the world as we all know it".

UK firefighters were invited by American organisers to lead the climb and carry ceremonial steel from the Twin Towers during the opening ceremony on 5 September.

A total of 343 firefighters from the UK will aim to fundraise for three charities, two based in the UK and one in the USA.

Each team hopes to raise £3,430 to pay tribute to the US firefighters who lost their lives.

The firefighters taking part have funded the trips themselves, with some of them practising by doing a similar challenge at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium.

Cook-Williams added: "It's going to be a challenge, the temperature will make it difficult and the practice event was tough but we got through it.

"We'll be carrying steel from the World Trade Centre as well as firefighter equipment."

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