"It's about a 100 pounds and of course there's insulation, and it's like walking around in a sauna with a lot of weight," said Laurens County firefighter, Alissa Sypsa.
On Saturday, Central Georgia firefighters suited up in full gear, but not to battle flames.
Instead, to battle 100 flights of stairs--the same amount first responders climbed on 9/11.
"It definitely puts into perspective what they went through that day. Just running calls in this general area, going up 10 flights of stairs once carrying our gear and our high-rise kit and stuff like that is very wearing," said Macon- Bibb County firefighter, Blaine Umbaugh.
On 9/11, 343 firefighters died. Now, these Central Georgia firefighters wear their pictures around their necks as they make the climb to honor their fallen brothers and sisters.