As the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks approaches, hundreds of first responders from North Texas and across the country gathered in downtown Dallas to honor those who lost their lives that day—and those who died in the years that followed due to injuries and illnesses related to the rescue and recovery efforts.

More than 500 firefighters, police officers and paramedics participated in the 14th Annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at the Comerica Bank Tower, ascending 110 flights of stairs in full gear to pay tribute to the fallen.

Ceremony filled with emotion

"I'm sure we all remember the emotion we felt on that day, 9/11," one speaker said during the ceremony, which featured a color guard, the ringing of a memorial bell and moments of silence.

Among those in attendance was Mikail

See Full Page