Monroe County Fire Rescue Competes in Tunnel to Towers Race
MONROE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE FIRST RESPONDERS PARTICIPATE
IN TUNNEL TO TOWER RACE
TO HONOR FIREFIGHTER WHO DIED IN TWIN TOWERS DURING 9/11
Twelve first responders of Monroe County Fire Rescue competed Sept. 18 in the Miami Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk to benefit the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
They joined more than 1,000 firefighters, police officers, military members and civilians to run 3.1 miles through the Port of Miami tunnel and over a causeway to Bayfront Park, where they then climbed 39 flights of stairs up One Biscayne Tower.
The firefighters did it all in bunker gear, which weighs more than 40 pounds. Their times ranged from 49 to 70 minutes, although they said the event was “more survival than a race.”
The event honors New York firefighter Steven Sills, who had just finished his shift on Sept. 11, 2001 and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he heard on a scanner that the first plane had hit the Twin Towers. Siller immediately returned to join his squad.
Sills drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it already was closed. He strapped on his 60 pounds of gear and ran through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he died while saving others.
Monroe County Fire Rescue’s competitors were: Battalion Chief David Sebben, Capt. Francisco Perez-Diaz, Capt. Timmy Leonard, Lt. Michael Blanton, Lt. Danny Ribot, Firefighter Adam Batchelor, Firefighter Megan Franks, Firefighter Eric Fundora, Firefighter Hector Mesa, Firefighter Sean Ojeda, Firefighter Laura Rojas and Firefighter Anthony Henriquez.