CULLMAN, Ala. – Holly Pond resident Aliyah Adera on Sunday, Sept. 11, posted to Facebook a picture of a firefighter in full turnout gear on the stair climber at the Planet Fitness in Cullman.
“Me and my sister-in-law were sitting in my car getting ready to go into Planet Fitness and noticed him getting out of his truck with all of his firefighter gear, and my sister-in-law told me that she had been seeing firefighters on TikTok going into gyms and wearing their gear while climbing 110 flights of stairs in remembrance of those who lost their lives in 9/11,” said Adera. “I had to take a picture of the gentleman because it was so heartwarming and made me tear up. I had never seen this happen and seeing it in person made tears come to my eyes. After I was done with my workout, I went to the stairs and thanked him for his service.”
The firefighter, Tate Dyar, is a member of the Locust Fork Fire Department. He started volunteering in 2019 and went to Wallace State Community College to become a paramedic. He attended the Alabama Fire College for his professional certifications and has been a firefighter paramedic for a little over a year.
Dyar said the tribute is common among first responders as a way to honor those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The 110 flights of stairs is the same climb made by the 343 firefighters who lost their lives at the World Trade Center.
Rather than praise him, Dyar said, he would rather everyone remember the bravery of the men and women who voluntarily went to the World Trade Center during the chaos of 9/11 to protect others.
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