Rob Knott, Captain for the Marshall Fire Protection District, has assembled a team of fellow volunteer firefighters and students from three different schools to join him in a national mission.
Back row (l-r): Jordan Nave (Westfield Fire), Zack Smith, Will Crumrin, and Garrett Lake. Not pictured: Rob Crumrin.
On April 24, 2026, Knott will lead the team up the stairs of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana during the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (FDIC) for the second year in a row. The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is not a race. It is a tribute to the 343 members of the New York City Fire Department who gave their lives on September 11, 2001. Each participant will carry the name and photograph of one of those fallen heroes.
Raising Funds for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)
The event goes beyond the boundaries of paying tribute. It is a fundraiser for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). The NFFF was formed 1992 with the support of Congress as a non-profit organization whose purpose is to honor the fallen, support the families of the fallen, and to prevent line-of-duty deaths through equipment and training.
Because it is a 501(c)3 organization, the NFFF relies on grants and donations, such as those generated through the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb event. Every year, hundreds of firefighters die while serving their communities in fires or vehicles accidents or heart attacks or cancers caused by years of exposure to toxins. The funds raised will support families navigating grief, provide educational scholarships for children of fallen firefighters, and support on-going research and training to prevent as many fire service related deaths as possible.
With 30 years in fire service, participating in the Stair Climb is an honor that is personal to Knott and why he inspired others to join him. Coy Romero, a second-year participant, is a student at Paris High School. Last year, he carried the badge of Firefighter Christopher Mozzillo. Mozzillo was among the first to respond to the World Trade Center with Engine 55 and is one of the 343 who did not make it out of the tower. Romero said, “it felt great to be a part of something that means so much to this whole country. This year will be even better because of how many people we as a team are going to have there.”
Romero’s experience last year inspired his brother to participate in this year’s event. Harris Romero, a student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, will fly to Indianapolis to participate in person. “Participating in this event is an opportunity to not only remember and reflect on the sacrifices of the firefighters and first responder heroes on September 11, but also an opportunity to push yourself for the better and discover your own limits.”
Another college student, Emerson Barrett, will be participating virtually from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. For Barrett, participating in this event is a “way to give back to the people who protect me.
The 343 firefighters that gave their life protecting their community serve as my inspiration. Participating is a huge way to remember and honor their sacrifice as well as the families who need the support.” Her individual fundraising will go directly to the team total.
This event is not a show up and participate kind of event. Participants have been training since early February to prepare for the task of climbing 110 flights of stairs. Many of the firefighters participating will do so in turnout gear, adding another 30-60 pounds to climb with. You will see them at local gyms, parks and stadiums pushing the limits in preparation.
Event Day
Upon check-in, Stair Climb participants are given t-shirts and thank you items for their fundraising efforts. At the end of the registration table, badges with pictures, names, rank, and companies of the fallen from 9/11 are laid out. Participants choose their hero to walk for that day. Last year, over 600 participants from around the world gathered on the floor of Lucas Oil Stadium. Silence crept over the stage where a podium was set up. Firefighters who experienced that day first-hand told their story. A radio broadcast from a NYC radio station played over the speaker. Voices of reporters and witnesses echo throughout. Some participants look down at their badge, others stand silent with eyes closed.
The bagpipes begin to play and the band leads the participants the length of the football field to ascend into the upper levels of the stadium where the climb takes place. It’s not a race and it is not timed. For some, the mission is clear; get to the top as quickly as possible. Others take their time and stop for breaks along the way. The atmosphere is somber, reverent, and filled with pride.
Join the Team
The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at FDIC has an event fundraising goal of $50,000. The MFPD team has a goal of raising $2,500. Each member has an individual goal and hopes to easily exceed that amount. Donations are already coming in through the team’s fundraising page. Because the NFFF is a non-profit organization, each donation receives a tax receipt. Individuals and businesses wishing to contribute to the team can do so by vising the Marshall Fire Protection District Facebook page and donating through a secure link, or contact Captain Knott directly.
