Pueblo Community College students walk flights of stairs in honor of 9/11 first responders

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Ahead of the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Pueblo Community College (PCC) students walked the same number of stairs first responders climbed that day.

Eleven years ago, students in the Fire Science Club came up with the idea to honor the lives lost by climbing the stairs of the PPC Ampatheater stairs. The tribute eventually became a tradition for students in PCC's fire science technology and other law enforcement programs.

This year, however, marks the first time in two years students have been able to participate after it was put on pause due to COVID-19.

Friday, fire science students put on full firefighting gear and other law enforcement students wore blue weighted vests while they climbed the stairs. The number of stairs they climbed was equivalent to the amount climbed by first responders on 9/11.

Around 20 students participated in the activity.

John Webber, the program manager for the fire science technology program, explained that many of his students were born after the attacks. This event, he said, is a way to ensure his students are informed of what happened that day.

Webber said it's his obligation to ensure students know the sacrifices first responders made that day.

"This is not only remembering what happened but honoring the people that gave their lives that day," said Webber.

Webber said he remembers exactly where he was when 9/11 happened. That September morning, Webber said citizens came off the street and into the fire station he was working at to ask if they had seen what was happening.

"We turned our TV on just as the second plane hit the second tower and watched all of this in disbelief," said Webber.

Webber said the World Trade Center is 110 stories. They don't require all students to climb that much, but he said students have climbed that high in the past.

One fire technology student who was born after 9/11 said he believes it's essential to understand the hardship firefighters went through on that tragic day.

"It's kind of surreal, knowing that they had to walk up 110 stairs in this stuff. I mean, we were going up and down one flight. I can imagine doing 110 flights," said Jose Garcia

Webber said students will continue to do this every year to remember the first responders that lost their lives trying to save other people.