On September 11, members of FEMA's Colorado Task Force One (COTF1) Urban Search and Rescue joined hundreds of Denver metro firefighters in honoring the firefighters who made the Supreme Sacrifice on September 11, 2001.

Six COTF1 members climbed 110-flights of stairs at the downtown Denver Qwest building. The building is 54-stories in height; the team started in the basement, and climbed to the top, making it a 55-story climb. With a quick express elevator back to the basement, we did it all again, in order to complete 110 flights, which was the height of the World Trade CenterTowers.

COTF1 members who completed the climb were Task Force Leader Mike Good, Communications Specialist Mike Hunter, Structural Specialist, Mike Piper, Canine Search Specialist/Logistics Manager Roxanne Dunn, Technical Information Specialist/Public Information Officer Michelle French and DHS/FEMA Certified Disaster Search Canine, Chili.

Not only was the climb physically challenging, the event was deeply personal to all members of the team. Mike Hunter, Mike Piper, and Mike Good deployed with COTF1 to the World Trade Center after 9/11. Each step, especially near the top of the building, reminded each of us what the firefighters experienced on that tragic day six years ago.

CO-TF1 personnel have responded to the World Trade Center after 9/11, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Space Shuttle Incident, Hurricane Isabel, Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances, Ft. Collins Floods in 1997, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita in 2005 and the Greensburg, Kansas tornado in 2007.

A FEMA Urban Search & Rescue Task Force is made up of 70 positions. To ensure a full deployment of 70 people, CO-TF1 has over 200 highly trained members. Members include firefighters, paramedics, physicians, structural engineers, hazardous materials technicians, heavy rigging specialists, and canine handlers.