GRAFTON - Community members and firefighters with QEM Fire Protection District climbed 2,071 steps to honor the first responders lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
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On Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, the QEM Fire Protection District’s burn tower was set up so firefighters could climb the stairs 34 times, or the equivalent of 110 floors. Firefighters from Medora and Centralia joined the QEM firefighters, and a few community members also participated to honor 9/11 first responders.
“It’s just honoring all those that gave their lives for strangers, complete strangers,” said QEM Firefighter Cameron Mank. “We just thank you guys for taking time out of your evening to come and honor those people, and then also just to support us. It’s a lot going up and down the stairs, and when you get gassed and you look at people watching you, it’s like, oh, this is why we do this.”
Firefighter Victoria Westfall echoed Mank. She expressed her admiration for the first responders who showed bravery and sacrifice on 9/11.
“To know that there’s all these first responders that participated in it, they didn't hesitate or go backwards. They went straight forward,” Westfall said. “That’s something I wanted to do.”
This year, the firefighters climbed the stairs in honor of Firefighter Eric T. Allen, who was killed on 9/11. Each climber carried a photo of Allen.
Stephanie Lucas, a veteran and community member, explained that she wanted to join the firefighters. She is close with the fire department and was eager to be a part of the climb. She makes a point to commemorate 9/11 every year.
“I remember 9/11. I had fellow soldiers calling me, asking me if we were going to get deployed. I didn’t know,” she shared. “I was in the service for 14 years, and I’ve just been doing something every year to remember.”
Mank and Westfall thanked supporters, including Fritz Meat and Processing and Germania Brew Haus, who provided food and patches for participants. LMNT also donated electrolyte drinks.
They noted that the 9/11 stair climb was a “powerful” experience. Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow addressed the firefighters before the climb and thanked them for their service. As a veteran, Morrow shared his own experience on 9/11 and urged the firefighters to continue serving the community with the same bravery and sense of duty they demonstrate every day.
“What you’re doing here tonight is dear to my heart. During 9/11, I was in Washington, D.C., in uniform. I remember,” Morrow said. “What you’re doing today is you’re honoring those firefighters and those first responders that lost their lives on 9/11…You are like the Army, like the Navy, like the military, like the police. You run toward the sound of danger. You run toward the sound of a gun. What you do is important for us.”
You can support the QEM Fire Protection District at their upcoming fish fry fundraiser on Sept. 13, 2025. Read this article on RiverBender.com to learn more. Visit the official QEM Fire Protection District website at QEMFire.org for more information about the fire department and their work.
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