Firefighters climb 72 flights of stairs to honor lives lost on 9/11

A group of DeKalb County firefighters climbed to the top of the tallest hotel in the Southeast on Saturday to honor the lives of first responders who died in the 9/11 attacks.

The seven firefighters wore their full gear as they walked the 72 flights of stairs to the top of the Westin Peachtree Plaza downtown, which is known for its cylindrical shape and the Sun Dial restaurant on the top floor.

Credit: Courtesy

Credit: Courtesy

The event was also a fundraiser for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Smart Home Program, which builds mortgage-free, custom homes for catastrophically injured service members. The foundation is named for Siller, a firefighter who died while rescuing others on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked and destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.

During the climb Saturday to the top of the 754-foot building in Atlanta, the firefighters wore badges with the names and photographs of first responders who died in 9/11. Family and friends gathered in support of the climbers. The DeKalb firefighters who participated were Chandler Tinsley, Anthony Gomez, Kevin Tart, Mike Goff, Patrick Hogan, Jeremy Atkins and Doug Harms.