Zachary Criscione climbed to the 22nd floor of the Cathedral of Learning five times yesterday… Zachary Criscione climbed to the 22nd floor of the Cathedral of Learning five times yesterday morning.

The firefighter and EMT at Kuhl Hose Fire Company in Erie, Pa., joined 25 firefighters from all over Western Pennsylvania to commemorate the first responders of Sept. 11 who climbed 110 flights in the World Trade Center.

“I was a sophomore in high school when [the Sept. 11 attacks] happened, and it made me the man I am today,” Criscione said. “I wanted to join the fire department because of it.”

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation sponsored the Cathedral event on Sunday, along with 39 other climbs across the country. The stair climb took place at 9 a.m., which is right after the time the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl participated in the stair climb in shorts and a T-shirt, alongside the firefighters dressed in uniform. Ravenstahl ran the 22 flights one time.

“When you consider that day, so many first responders went into that building knowing they would never come out,” Ravenstahl said. “We are going to run up those stairs today knowing that we are going to come out, and as we do it, we’ll remember what the morning was like and make sure that we never forget.”

As the firefighters prepared to enter the building, a crowd of about 50 people gathered at the Cathedral and clapped for the climbers in encouragement.

The firefighters ran in groups of five up the staircase on the Bellefield Avenue side.

About a half an hour after they began, a sweaty Ravenstahl emerged from the Cathedral and reflected on how difficult a job the firefighters of 9/11 faced, especially with all of their equipment on and the chaos surrounding them.

The participants received a photo and badge of one of the fallen heroes of Sept. 11, and the money collected from the $25 registration fee went to assist surviving families and coworkers of those firefighters who died on 9/11.

“We remember the lives that so many gave that day, whether they were firefighters, paramedics, police officers or even ordinary citizens from New York or across the country; Washington, D.C., [and] of course, closer to home — Shanksville, Pennsylvania,” Ravenstahl said. “It is tragic, and it is painful, but we must remember. We must appreciate and thank those first responders who gave so much … on that horrific, horrific day. It was a day that changed America, and we will never forget the sacrifices that so many made.

Ravenstahl said that everyone needs to be prepared for an event like 9/11 and championed the first responders for the individual and team effort they put in each and every day.

“You never know when Sept. 11 is going to come again. You never know when that fire is going to break out; when you’re going to have to run into a dark alley not knowing what you’re going to encounter,” Ravenstahl said. “That’s what they face every day. So we remember it today in a special way and a specific way, but we also need to recognize that these men and women do this on a daily basis for us.”

It was clear that the firefighters making the commemorative climb were humbled to do so. Virtually all of the participants used the word “honor” when speaking about the task they were preparing to complete.

Ryne Rutkowski, a Stancliff Hose fireman, likewise echoed the sentiment.

“I feel good honoring them the right way. I’ve got the wings of angels helping me up the stairs,” Rutkowski said. “It’s important because we are honoring the firefighters for the sacrifices they made, but we are also honoring the civilians that died, not just in New York, but in Pennsylvania and D.C. as well.”