110 stories. 2,200 steps.

That’s roughly how far members of the Fire Department of New York and other first emergency responders would have climbed in the World Trade Center Buildings on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

On that day, 2,977 souls, including 343 firefighters, were lost to a cruel act of terrorism. In the years since, fire departments have been honoring the men and women in uniform who died that day by making this same journey in office buildings, apartment complexes and stadiums across the United States, turning these normal spaces into hallowed ground, even if just for a morning.

On Sunday, Sept. 8, led by Gulf Shores Fire Rescue and following a memorial service in the park next to Gulf Place, first responders and military members from around Baldwin County, most in full emergency gear, participated in the third-annual Gulf Shores 9/11 Stair Climb at the Phoenix Gulf Shores building.

As radio chatter from the FDNY and NYPD from that day echoed through the Phoenix stairwells, many of Baldwin County’s finest were joined by members of the public, in plain clothes but with the same reverence. A powerful and exhausting tribute.

Army Col. (Ret.) Dan Vogel, who served two tours in Afghanistan and four tours in Iraq in the years following the attacks, served as the guest speaker for the memorial service. Vogel is now a resident of Orange Beach.

“So here we stand today, standing shoulder to shoulder, willing to embark on a climb to honor those that have come before us. And when we climb today and feel some pain, my hope is that we remember the fallen,” he said. “That maybe somehow the pain we feel may take some of the pain away from those who have been left behind.”

To find out how you can participate in next year’s 9/11 Stair Climb, contact Gulf Shores Fire Rescue.