It was not a “Stairway to heaven” as noted by the Led Zeppelin band, but it probably felt like it for Murfreesboro firefighters.

Thirteen Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department personnel participated in the 4th Annual Nashville 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb Sunday at the William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower in Downtown, Nashville.

The group joined 330 other Firefighters from across the nation to climb 110 stories in remembrance of the 343 FDNY Firefighters that perished in New York's Twin Towers September 11, 2001.

Three MFRD personnel (Firefighters David Branch, Daphanie Crenshaw, and Kevin Leonard) were sponsored by the department. The other 10 participants representing MFRD were Driver Josh Oliver and Firefighters Ryan Battle, Karl Daigle, Ryan Daniel, Chad Davis, Kevin Defeo, Josh Parsons, Ashley Welcome, Matt Welcome, and Sean Wheeler.

Participants wore full gear, weighing anywhere from 60-80 pounds. They each were given a badge to wear with the name and photograph of one of the FDNY Firefighters killed on September 11, 2001.

"I can't even explain what it felt like to accomplish this challenging physical feat in memory of our fallen brothers," said Firefighter Sean Wheeler. "To get the opportunity to honor them and their family members was amazing," he added.

Photo (Below):

Front Row: (L to R) Kevin Leonard, Ryan Battle, Matt Welcome, Ashley Welcome, Daphanie Crenshaw,
and Kevin Defeo.

Back Row: (L to R) Ryan Daniel, David Branch, Sean Wheeler, Karl Daigle, Josh Parsons (with baby Charlotte), Chad Davis, and Josh Oliver.

Source:

Ashley McDonald, Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue