Photo of the Day: Firefighters 9/11 memorial stair climb at CenturyLink building

Among the thousands of people who died in the attacks of September 11, 2001 were 343 members of the New York Fire Department. To honor their sacrifice, firefighters from all over the area, including Boulder, are taking part in a memorial stair climb at the CenturyLink building downtown. According to...

By Michael Roberts

September 11, 2013

Audio By Carbonatix

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Among the thousands of people who died in the attacks of September 11, 2001 were 343 members of the New York Fire Department. To honor their sacrifice, firefighters from all over the area, including Boulder, are taking part in a memorial stair climb at the CenturyLink building downtown. According to Boulder spokeswoman Kim Kobel, participants outfitted in 75 pounds of bunker gear (like that worn during the ill-fated rescue attempts) will climb CenturyLink's 55 stories of stairs twice, to approximate the 110 stories of the World Trade Center. While doing so, each will carry a photo of a firefighter killed twelve years ago today. A fitting memorial, and a moving one.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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