09/11/2026
September is Firefighter Appreciation Month, and today, on the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, we can think of no more meaningful time to recognize the extraordinary men and women who dedicate their lives to answering the call.
Twenty-five years ago, 343 FDNY firefighters went into the World Trade Center knowing others were desperately trying to get out. They climbed toward danger because somewhere above them, someone needed help.
That spirit of service, of running toward another person’s worst moment, lives on in firehouses across America, including right here at home.
This month, members of the Blackwell Fire Department once again carried that legacy with them at the Kansas City 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.
Since its beginning in 2011, the climb has grown to include 343 firefighters, each representing one of the 343 FDNY firefighters who gave their lives on September 11. More than 80 departments from eight states come together to climb 110 stories, remember the fallen and raise funds for the families of firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
This year, Blackwell Fire Chief Cory Hanebrink, who has completed 16 stair climbs over the past 12 years, was joined by Battalion Chief Justin Kienzle for the 110-story climb inside the Skyline Collection high-rise in downtown Kansas City.
Every step matters.
Every flight of stairs represents a life, a family and a sacrifice that cannot be forgotten.
But perhaps the greatest way we can honor the firefighters who never came home on September 11 is by appreciating those who continue to answer that same call today.
Behind every siren in Blackwell is a person willing to leave their dinner table, wake in the middle of the night, miss time with their children or put aside whatever was happening in their own life because someone else is having the worst day of theirs.
They arrive when homes are burning.
They kneel beside us on highways after accidents.
They hold hands in living rooms during medical emergencies.
They bring order to chaos, reassurance to fear and hope into moments when hope can feel very far away.
They are firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and first responders — but to the people whose lives they touch, those titles only begin to describe what they mean.
The true impact of their work cannot be measured simply by calls answered, fires extinguished or miles traveled in an ambulance.
It is measured in tomorrows.
It is another birthday celebrated because someone arrived in time. Another graduation attended. Another Christmas morning together. Another family dinner. Another hug. Another ordinary day that suddenly means everything because someone from the Blackwell Fire Department was there when it mattered most.
Twenty-five years ago, America watched firefighters climb upward while others escaped downward. We learned in the most painful way imaginable what it means to answer a call knowing there may be a tremendous personal cost.
Today, we remember the 343 who never came back down.
We honor those who climb those 110 stories so their names and sacrifices are never forgotten.
And here at home, we thank the men and women who continue to answer the call every day — not because they expect applause or recognition, but because serving their neighbors is simply what they do.
To every member of the Blackwell Fire Department: thank you for the sleepless nights. Thank you for the missed meals and interrupted holidays. Thank you for the steady hands, the comforting words, the courage and compassion. Thank you for taking care of our families, often while sacrificing precious time with your own.
Blackwell is safer because of you.
Blackwell is stronger because of you.
And there are people sitting around dinner tables in our community today because, on one of the hardest days of their lives, you showed up.
From all of us at the City of Blackwell, thank you.
And to the 343 whose legacy continues with every firefighter who answers the call:
We remember. We honor. We will never forget.
