Twenty-four years later, 9/11 remembered in the desert with stair climb at Morongo
Garrett Hottle
CABAZON, Calif. (KESQ) Twenty-four years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, firefighters climbed the stairs of Morongo Casino Resort & Spa today to honor the 343 FDNY firefighters who gave their lives at Ground Zero.
The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb began with a morning ceremony, followed by participants scaling the equivalent of 110 stories inside the casino tower. The number of participants is capped at 343 climbers to reflect the number of fallen firefighters.
Morongo Fire Chief Abdul Khamet recalled the shock of watching events unfold on duty in 2001.
“We were completely in shock for what we were witnessing,” he explained. “Firefighters were entering into the tower to save as many lives as possible. And in the course of doing that, some of them met their fate,” Khamet said.
The Morongo Fire Department, which began as a volunteer wildland crew called the Flying Eagles in the 1950s, now operates as a full-time department with nearly 50 firefighters and EMTs answering more than 1,500 calls a year.
Captain Krone with the Morongo Fire Department said the climb shows the department’s commitment to remembrance.
“It feels great, it’s inspiring,” he said. “It reminds us every day when we get on the truck what we’re here to do. The phrase we’ll never forget gets tossed around, but an event like this truly shows it.”
This year’s event carried a powerful local connection.
In August, New York officials confirmed the identification of 72-year-old Barbara Keating of Palm Springs, nearly 25 years after she died aboard American Airlines Flight 11 when it crashed into the North Tower.
Chief Craig Sanborn with the Cathedral City Fire Department described the challenge of the stair climb and the meaning behind it.
“Climbing the stairs, it’s exhausting, it’s hot… but we power through. We cheer each other on, and I always say a little prayer for the name I’m carrying.”
Keating’s identification is among more than 1,650 victims identified to date. Roughly 1,100 remain unidentified.
“My heart goes out to the families,” Chief Khamet said. “We are here to make sure, as we always say on the side of our engines, that we will never forget.”
The stair climb is one of dozens nationwide organized by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Funds raised support programs for the families of fallen firefighters.