From sole to soul: PXFD climbs for remembrance
Firefighters Jacob Frame, Joshua Brown, and Mike Kendrick climbed 110 stories to honor the 343 firefighters killed in the line of duty on September 11.
Three members of the Pantex Fire Department (PXFD) participated in the Kansas City 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb to honor the firefighters killed in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. Pantexans Joshua Brown, Jacob Frame, and Mike Kendrick joined hundreds of other firefighters from around the country to climb 110 stories to the top of the Skyline Collection high-rise in downtown Kansas City to memorialize the fallen.
“I climbed for those who never made it to the top,” Brown said. “For me, it’s about honoring the firefighters who gave their lives serving others and remembering the families they left behind. This is my small way of paying tribute.”
The Kansas City Memorial Stair Climb is one of many events across the nation specifically dedicated to honoring the first responders who lost their lives responding to the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Each climber is assigned a photo and badge of one of the 343 fallen firefighters who bravely ran toward danger to try to help others but never came back. Climbers ascend 110 stories, the height of the Twin Towers, in full gear to get the photo to the finish. The process involves climbing to the top of the Skyline Collection, taking an elevator to the bottom, and then restarting the climb multiple times to achieve all 110 stories. The stairwell route is plastered with pictures of the firefighters, their families, photos from that day, and various other pieces of memorabilia.
“It’s life changing,” Frame said. “Participating in an event like this is such an emotional roller coaster and it is a huge honor to be able to do it. It’s not a race — it’s an experience that takes time due to its overwhelming nature.”
Each firefighter carried not just the photo and the weight of their gear, but the enduring heroic legacy of the fallen and a promise to never forget. The climb represents 24 years of unwavering remembrance and ensures that the lives lost continue to be honored. At the end, Brown, Frame, and Kendrick rang a bell with a mixture of sorrow and pride, signifying they reached the top — an honor many were not afforded.
“The fire service is built on sacrifice,” Brown said. “This event comes at a cost: time off, travel, physical effort — but it’s worth it. Honoring them isn’t just tradition, it’s a responsibility. The men and women who ran into those buildings didn’t ask to be called heroes. They wanted to save lives. It’s on us to make sure their stories are told, and their legacies live on.”
The stair climb is one way Pantexans honor the fallen. A permanent memorial featuring a piece of the Twin Towers sits in front of the Pantex Fire Station beneath the American flag.
“Due to the memorial here being ever-present, it’s impossible to forget what happened that day,” Frame said. “September 11 is the perfect example of firefighters going to work and putting themselves in harm’s way for the sake of complete strangers. With so many people lost in one event, it has had such a huge impact on the fire service. Firefighters are happy to go to work for the sole purpose of helping strangers. It is truly an honor to be a part of the firefighter community.”
PXFD members play a critical role in supporting Pantex’s mission and demonstrate their commitment through community engagement. Whether assisting neighboring departments through mutual aid, leading training exercises, supporting local schools, or climbing 110 flights of stairs in remembrance of heroes, they take pride in representing Pantex well beyond the plant. With each step, PXFD not only honored the fallen but reaffirmed their own dedication to a profession defined by courage and bravery.
9/11 commemorative helmet
High–rise in downtown Kansas City
343 fallen firefighters mural
Firefighters Joshua Brown, Mike Kendrick, and Jacob Frame