Fire Captain Talks To Middle School Students About 9/11

Photo Courtesy of Pam Boe

For the last several years on every 9/11, Captain Troy Lipp has visited John Poole Middle School to tell the 7th Grade students the story of 9/11.  Not in textbook style, but in a very personal narrative as Captain Lipp was one of the Task Force Leaders of Maryland Task Force One that responded to the Pentagon that tragic day.

Most, if not all, of these 7^th Grade students were not alive that fateful day thus it is a history lesson for them – a very important history lesson.  Captain Lipp wants to make sure the kids understand what happened and the impact of the day.  How better to learn than from someone who responded to the Pentagon and lived it for many days straight? 

After the presentation for the 7th graders, some members of Maryland Task Force One (Urban Search and Rescue) ate lunch with the students.

Photo Courtesy of Pam Boe

Always Remember

Remember.................

Firefighters and Fire Chief Bowers to Tackle County's Tallest Tower To Honor 9/11 Fire Fighters On Saturday

On Saturday more than 50 members of MCFRS, including Fire Chief Richie Bowers, will climb 110 stories at the North Bethesda Market East Tower in honor of our 343 colleagues who died in the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

The event, which was organized by Firefighter TJ Monahan of Station 33 in Potomac to commemorate next month's 10th anniversary of the tragedy, is a fundraiser for the International Association of Fire Fighters' Burn Foundation. It is the first firefighter stair climb in the Washington region, according Ron Benedict, the Fitness Team and Grants Coordinator for IAFF who's been helping plan the event.

The apartment tower at North Bethesda Market, the tallest building in Montgomery County, is the equivalent of 25 stories from ground level.

"I'd heard of other stair climbs around the country that other firefighters do, and I thought it fitting to do something locally to honor the 343 firefighter lives lost in New York on 9/11, almost a decade ago," Monahan said. "I began searching for the tallest building I could find, and found it virtually in my backyard.  To 'climb the World Trade Center,' we'll be going up and down four times, plus 10 extra stories at the end."

Many of the participants will make the climb in full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), about 60 lbs. worth of gear. In addition to raising money for the Burn Foundation in memory of our fallen brothers and sisters, the event will give participants the opportunity to realistically gauge their personal performance expectations during an actual high-rise incident--without the benefit of elevators.

The event begins at 9 a.m., Aug. 20, at North Bethesda Market, 11418 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, Md. Stop by to lend support and cheer for those tackling the tower climb. The event is hosted by IAFF and IAFF Local 1664, and sponsored in part by North Bethesda Market and The JBG Companies.

Donations to the IAFF Burn Foundation in support of the stair climb can be made at the event or online at http://www.active.com/donate/FFStairClimb.

MCFRS Fire Fighter Gearing Up For World Police and Fire Games

By: Bryan Stottlemyer
Firefighter/Paramedic

It’s that time of year again when our cycling team Capital Region Fire and Police Cycling, comprised of local public safety personnel, sets its sites on our annual target events. This year we are headed for the World Police and Fire Games which, for the first time, will be held in New York City. The dates of the games are August 26 – September 5, and will coincide with a ten year 9/11 tribute at the site of the World Trade Center.

Courtesy of crfpc.com

To date, the games currently have over 18,000 competitors registered from countries around the world in 86 different events. It is the largest global summer sports competition superseded only by the Summer Olympics.

This year’s team includes personnel from Montgomery County Fire/Rescue, Alexandria Fire Dept., Alexandria Police Dept., Metropolitan Police Dept. (DC), Fredericksburg Sheriff’s Dept., and Hayward Fire Dept.

This year, similar to last year, our team has been training hard for the upcoming games. Last year, at the Can-Am Police and Fire Games, we earned a total of 12 medals throughout the cycling disciplines. This year, the team has already had a handful of top-ten finishes throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, and we’re using the remainder of our time before the games to further prepare for the steep competition that the World Games promises to bring. Our venues will include Central Park, Grant’s Tomb, Long Island, and more.

We are excited to have the opportunity to represent our team, our departments, and our country in this large event.

For those interested in learning more, and how you might help our effort, please visit www.crfpc.com for further details.