Austin Fire Department commemorates fallen 9/11 firefighters

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department (AFD) held and participated in a series of events Wednesday to commemorate the 343 firefighters who died during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

“It is a bittersweet anniversary that celebrates the heroic actions of first responders and mourns the tremendous loss brought about by the terrorist attacks,” AFD said.

Following the attack, 10 Austin firefighters were deployed to New York.

“It is for those 10 and the thousands of others who served at Ground Zero that the Austin Fire Department continues to participate in and host September 11 events,” AFD said.

The Austin Firefighters Association hosted the 9/11 Memorial at Buford Tower.

During the ceremony, there was a presentation of colors and a moment of silence at 7:46 a.m. CT, which was when the first plane hit the tower.

AFD also continued its tradition of climbing the stairs at the Pleasant Valley Tower, located in east Austin.

“This stair climb is the longest-running memorial of its kind in the nation. The first took place on September 12, 2001, when a class of fire cadets was led by their fire training instructor,” AFD said.

Stair climb participants gathered and ascended the tower to “climb the stairs until reaching a total of 1,368 feet, the height of the World Trade Center in 2001.”

Many of the participating firefighters climbed wearing full gear, which included firefighting apparel, an air pack and a hose bundle. The ensemble adds approximately 50 pounds of weight, according to AFD.

The Travis Manion Foundation will also hold the 9/11 Heroes Run on Sunday to honor AFD Battalion Chief Travis L. Maher, who has since died following his Ground Zero work.