Firefighter Jerry Sancineto, of Wakefield, Mass., and firefighter Alan Hagander, of Stamford, Conn. were the first two firefighters to finish the run. (Shari Small/WBZ NewsRadio)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Nearly 800 firefighters and about 800 civilians participated in the Fight for Air Climb in Boston Saturday. The event is meant to raise money for the American Lung Association.
Firefighters raced up 82 flights of stairs — 789 steps — at One Boston Place in full firefighting gear. The gear weighs about 50 pounds.
Firefighter Jerry Sancineto was the first person up the stairs. He finished in under 8 minutes.
“It’s a lot more challenging than people think. It really is. It’s hot in the stairwell. We have a lot of gear on. It can get really dry. By 30th floor you’re hoping that you’re closer to the finish,” Sancineto said.
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports