DeKalb Firefighter Seeks to Memorialize 9/11 with Stair Climb in Dunwoody

When DeKalb County Firefighter Pat Lindstrom runs the stairs at the Manhattan building in Dunwoody, he can’t help but think of the firefighters who perished on Sept. 11.

The 22-year veteran firefighter, who works out of the DeKalb fire station across the street, runs the stairs in the 26-floor building frequently for exercise.

Four times this year, he’s run 110 floors in a row – the number of stories in the Twin Towers, thinking about those who were lost in the tragedy a decade ago.

In that same vein, Lindstrom has organized a memorial climb at the Manhattan on Sept. 10 to memorialize the 343 New York City firefighters and 60 NYPD officers who perished in the tragedy.

“It was a terrible, terrible day,” he said. “This is just something to say I appreciate all those emergency workers and people who lost their lives on that day.”

At 8 a.m. Sept. 10, he and several other DeKalb County Firefighters will be hosting the Dunwoody Manhattan Memorial Climb. The 26-story climb will also raise money for the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation, an organization that helps burn survivors recover from their injuries and seeks to prevent fires.

Lindstrom will also be joined by members of the Dunwoody Police Department as well as Dunwoody City Councilman Denis Shortal.

Lindstrom said he plans to have 40 people go up at once, and expects it should take about a half hour for each participant.

He stressed that it will not be a race, but instead a time to reflect.

There will be a ceremony before the stair climb with the National Anthem, a rendition of God Bless America and an opening prayer. He’ll also have a projector with images of Sept. 11.

“This is to remember those men that were going up there that day and didn’t come back down,” he said

Registration for the event is $25, which will be provided to pre-registered participants. Pre-registration closes on Sept. 3..