For the second year in a row, Dublin PD’s own patrol officer climbed 110 flights of stairs in honor of those first responders who perished during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Officer Cody Cook spent Saturday, Sept. 6 participating in the Dallas 9/11 Stair Climb at Comerica Tower in downtown Dallas. His father-in-law Aric Enciso with Lake Cities FD also climbed.
The event, held each year, remembers the fallen first responders of the World Trade Center attacks – 343 firefighters and paramedics and 60 police officers and those who have died since then of causes related to 9/11.
“We’re incredibly proud of Cody Cook for completing the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. His dedication and determination reflect the very best qualities in our department. This climb honors those who gave everything on that day, and Cody carried their memory every step of the way,” Police Chief Cameron Ray said.
Each responder climbs for an individual first responder lost in the towers so there is a finite number of entries each year and the climb is known for filling up within m i n u t e s . This year Cook climbed for John Levi from Port Authority PD. Levi was working overtime during Sept. 11 because he liked to have his weekends free to spend time with his fiancée. According to information provided through papba. org, he called her twice – once when the first plane hit and again from the basement of the World Trade Center when he was searching for evidence. He was stationed at the Port Authority Midtown Bus T e r m i n a l . Shortly before 9/11 occurred, the 50-year-old police officer had received a departmental commendation for his role in capturing a shooting suspect who arrived on a bus from Boston. As the climb took place participants climb 49 flights, then 12 flights, then 49 flights again ... all with complete gear on. Prior to starting the climb, participants touch a metal beam from one of the towers, say goodbye to their families and enter the stairwell. “The experience this year was amazing and I’m still reminded to never forget why I was climbing,” Cook said. “I am doing it again next year and will every year my body allows me to. It’s incredible to know you are climbing for someone’s family out there, and knowing they won’t be forgotten. 9/11 will be something we will never forget.” Not only is the climb an extremely demanding physical challenge but it’s also an emotional one as last voicemails of those who died are played, and moments of silence and the halting of climbing occurs on the timing with when the towers fell and the airplanes h i t . Despite incredibly hot and taxing conditions inside the stairwell, Cook said for him the most difficult part is simply remembering why first responders are climbing in the first place. “It just reminds you mentally why you are climbing and only a sliver of what it was like for the first responders,” he said. “This is what we are fighting for and remembering who these people are is our duty.” After completing the climb, each participant says the name of the fallen first responder they are climbing for, rings a bell in their honor and places an accountability tag with their name on it on the board. Though climbers are not required to raise any funds to donate to the chosen charity, for the 2025 stairclimb the nonprofit A Badge of Honor was selected. The nonprofit is dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellness of first responders and their families. Founded by individuals with firsthand experience in emergency services, the organization offers programs designed to address the unique challenges faced by those in high-stress professions. The organization’s mission is to end suicide among first responders and veterans by raising awareness of posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI) and providing effective prevention strategies. Through education, peer support, and community engagement, A Badge of Honor aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health in emergency services.
For more information or to schedule a workshop, visit their website at www. abadgeofhonor.com. “It brings so many departments from all over Texas together,” he said. “It’s crazy knowing we are all in a stairwell working together.”