Firefighters to climb stairs in symbolic 9/11 memorial fundraiser.

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Some Citrus County Firefighters will climb the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs on Sept. 11 in honor of their 343 fallen comrades who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

The event will take place in a stairwell at Citrus Memorial Hospital the morning of the 11th, and it will raise money for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. It is being sponsored by Local 4562 Professional Firefighters of Citrus County and Citrus County Fire Rescue. The symbolic stair climbing is part of a national event firefighters are putting on around the nation as a memorial for their fellow firefighters who sacrificed their lives on 9/11.

Residents, groups and businesses can sponsor firefighters for the number of floors they are able to complete up to the goal of the equivalent of 110 flights: Pledges can be 25 cents a floor, 50 cents a floor, 75 cents a floor or a dollar a floor. The money raised for the foundation goes to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Registration is open to firefighters until Aug. 31. Sponsor forms are available from Fire Rescue personnel, the Fire Rescue office in the Lecanto Government Building, and online at the county's Internet Website (www.bocc.citrus.fl.us). The names of the firefighters participating will be listed on the site as they register.

Because the climbers will have to descend the hospital's five floors to begin to ascend the next set of five floors, some credit will be given for the descent, and so the goal to equal the 110 floors (equivalent of 22 sets of five flights) was set at 16 ascents and descents of the five floors.

Participants will report by 8 a.m. and the event will begin with a moment of silence at 9:06 a.m., the time of the second attack. The climb begins directly after. Each firefighter can wear and carry any amount of equipment or gear, such as bunker gear and SCBA air packs. Each will be asked to wear a partial list of the names of those who died.

Citrus County Fire Rescue will have a fire engine, a brush truck and the new tower truck at the site on display. There will also be displays by Special Technical Rescue unit and the Hazmat Unit and interactive display of firefighter gear and techniques under a tented area.

For more information about registration and required waiver information, or sponsoring of a firefighter, call Fire Rescue at 527-5406 or Chase Hurst at 727-808-8371.