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Twenty-five years after 343 firefighters lost their lives responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a British firefighter carried their memory up 110 flights of stairs in Columbus.
London firefighter Lee Massey completed the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb last weekend at Extreme Gym, climbing approximately 2,200 steps in honor of the firefighters who died while responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center.
“It’s a brotherhood. We’ve got brothers and sisters in the job, and 343 of our brothers died that day, and the least we can do is remember some way or another,” Massey said. “Doing it in a firefighter-related way, I think, is quite fitting.”
With support from the Columbus Volunteer Fire Department and Capt. Anna Schultz, Massey donned CVFD turnout gear and additional equipment during the climb, simulating a portion of the more than 75 pounds of gear FDNY firefighters carried into the Twin Towers. He also wore a helmet gifted to him from a surviving New York firefighter who wore it at Ground Zero that day.
Massey climbed for 52 minutes and 52 seconds with only a couple of short breaks. The firefighter said he found motivation for each step through remembrance.
“Remembering the 343. That’s what it’s all about and the sacrifice they made, their families, the fire department,” Massey said.
While FDNY firefighters were unable to reach all 110 floors of each Twin Tower, the challenge calls for participants to climb the full height, or about 2,200 steps, to complete the ascent in their honor.
Created in 2005, the chal lenge has since spread worldwide in support of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and surviving families and coworkers of the 343. NFFF launched a fundraiser for this anniversary (forthe343.org) and invites everyone to climb at least one flight or join a climb challenge near them.
“With it being the 25th anniversary, I just felt I couldn’t sit back and do nothing,” Massey said. After finishing the challenge, he added, “It means a lot to be able to do it, especially in full kit. As I say to the people everywhere, never forget. It should never be allowed to happen again.”
Massey described a three-day-long purgatory overseas after the American tragedy. During his service in the British Army, he was called back from a training exercise and instructed to man the airfields. Massey and others were ordered to replace all blank ammunition with live ammunition.
“We didn’t know anything of it. They just said that there’s been a major attack on American soil, and we believed we were next, “Massey said. “Then, some newspapers came through, and we saw the front page. We didn’t believe it at first. We thought it was a movie.”
After leaving the army, Massey joined the London Fire Brigade in 2003 and has since served 23 years. He sought to do the challenge in Columbus during his annual visit to the Potters family. He and his wife met the Potters after taking the wrong exit onto Highway 71 Business while driving to Austin from Houston following their wedding.
“It ’s technical ly a wrong turn, but it was the best wrong turn we ever took,” Massey said. “We stopped at the intersection by Schobel’s, saw a sign for the County Fair, said we’ll go. (We) needed some clothes and saw the store (Potter’s Western Store). It was like it was pointing us in the right direction.”
Massey said the Columbus community has been “extremely supportive” of his doing the challenge. A gym-goer commended his determination and strength, and a couple of others stopped by in support. Massey said he and his wife would like to stay permanently in the town.
“The place is incredible. We just absolutely love Columbus, love Texas, love the United States of America,” Massey said. “Eventually, one day, we will make it home.”
