Haddam Fire Team Climbs Stairs for American Lung Association

When you enter an elevator, you will notice the Fire Service switches. In case of an emergency on a higher floor, the Fire Department can take control of the car and use it to speed to the scene without having to climb stairs with all of their gear and breathing apparatus. So why on a Saturday in March, would 5 Haddam Firefighters climb to the 36^th Floor of the Hartford 21 building when in Haddam there are no more than two or three flights of stairs in any building? To help raise funds for the American Lung Association, that’s why.

Across the country, Fire Departments participate in charity climbs raising awareness and funds for local and national organizations. On March 31^st, such a climb was organized in Hartford that brought 19 departments and several hundred Firefighters to Trumbull Street.  Teams checked in, received numbers to pin on the front of their gear, and strapped electronic timing chips to their right wrists.

“We arrived at the site at 11:30 a.m., and got all of our gear ready in the lobby, along with a lot of other Departments,” said Haddam Firefighter Jay Selmer, Haddam’s Team Captain for the event. “When our step-off time drew near, we began to get anxious. Our guys made their final adjustments to gear knowing that once we started, there was no turning back.”

Climbers stepped off at 20 second intervals to minimize congestion in the narrow stair well leading up towards the sky. Once in line, you could see the large clock at the entrance just off the luxurious lobby of the downtown residential tower. As the time came to head to the first step, Firefighters swiped their wrist registering their start time. Each floor was a set of metal treads, with a landing half way between floors. As the numbers of the floors ticked away, everyone felt their bodies pushing harder and harder to move themselves along with their helmets, coats, bunker pants, boots, and Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) up the steps. 

The Haddam Team moved at a good pace. It was permissible to pass other slower climbers. In the end, the team had a very respectable average time of a little over 8 minutes, and was one of the teams that raised the higher amounts of money.

“It was a lot of work, but we had a great team and it was for a great cause,” said Selmer.  “We would like to thank all who donated to our team to make the climb worthwhile.”

More information on the activities of the and ways you can get involved can be found on our website – www.HaddamFire.com.  

Submitted by Bob Norton, Haddam Fire Company Public Relations Liaison