Honouring our fallen firefighters

Today firefighters are gathering under the Sky Tower in memory of those firefighters who lost their lives in the September 11 World Trade Centre attacks as well as honouring New Zealand firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty.

The Memorial Firefighter Stair Climb honours every New Zealand firefighter lost in the line of duty since 1872, with the date of 9/11 chosen to coincide with the worst firefighter tragedy in recent history when 343 firefighters from the New York Fire Department lost their lives selflessly trying to save others.

It has been 22 years since the tragic 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and we have commemorated the day since 2008. The names of the 343 New York firefighters will be read out, as will the names of the 68 firefighters we have lost in the line of duty.

You can watch the memorial event below. It starts at 11.30am.