El Paso County will mark 25 years since the September 11, 2001 attacks with a sunrise ceremony and a 2,200-step stair climb at UTEP's Sun Bowl on Friday, September 11. Doors open at 6 a.m., the ceremony begins at 7 a.m., and the stair climb follows immediately afterward, according to an event flyer shared by the fire department hosting the observance.
The Horizon Fire Department announced the ceremony and climb on Facebook, describing it as a way to honor those who died in the 2001 attacks and to recognize the first responders and everyday heroes who ran toward danger that day. In a post titled 25 Years Later, We Remember Together, the department said the event also recognizes families whose lives were changed by the attacks, according to the Horizon Fire Department. The department framed September 11, 2001 as a national tragedy that forever changed the United States, one that nonetheless brought communities across the country together.
The event is open to El Paso County and surrounding communities, and organizers say participation is not limited to professionals. First responders, military members, veterans, community organizations, families and neighbors are all welcome to take part in the ceremony and stair climb, and people do not need to be first responders — or even climb at all — to attend. Those planning to participate can register through a QR code included on the event flyer. The Sun Bowl is located at 2701 Sun Bowl Dr. in El Paso.
Why 2,200 Steps
The 2,200-step distance is not arbitrary. It comes from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's official protocol for 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs nationwide, which sets that step count as the physical equivalent of the 110 stories that made up each World Trade Center tower — symbolically retracing the ascent FDNY firefighters made on the day of the attacks, according to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Climbs organized under that program serve as a major fundraising vehicle for the foundation, supporting the FDNY Counseling Service Unit and providing financial assistance to the surviving families of fallen firefighters.
El Paso's Sun Bowl climb builds on a local tradition rather than starting fresh this year. UTEP's Army ROTC program hosted a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at the same stadium in September 2025, drawing hundreds of participants from Fort Bliss, Las Cruces, and local fire and police agencies, per UTEP. That prior event involved soldiers and first responders climbing stadium sections in full turnout and tactical gear.
The Toll the Ceremony Honors
The scale of loss the ceremony commemorates is well documented at the national level. The September 11, 2001 attacks killed 2,977 victims, including 441 emergency first responders — 343 firefighters, 71 law enforcement officers, 8 paramedics, and 55 military personnel at the Pentagon — making it the single deadliest day for emergency response personnel in U.S. history, according to Goodfellow Air Force Base.
That toll has continued to grow in the years since. As of September 2025, the number of FDNY firefighters and first responders who have died from toxic exposure illnesses tied to post-9/11 rescue and recovery work has surpassed the 343 line-of-duty deaths recorded on the day of the attacks, per FOX 5 New York. Toxic dust inhaled during rescue efforts at Ground Zero has been linked to chronic cancers and severe respiratory conditions among thousands of responders in the years that followed.
A Statewide Pattern in 2026
El Paso's observance is not an isolated event this year. Municipal fire agencies across Texas, including Gainesville Fire-Rescue and the Midland Fire Department, are organizing their own 25th-anniversary 9/11 memorial ceremonies and stadium climbs in 2026, often paired with blood drives, honor guards, and community service projects, according to the City of Gainesville. Congress designated September 11 as Patriot Day under Public Law 107-89 in December 2001, requesting flags be flown at half-staff, and later requested in 2009 that the day also be recognized as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Hosting the El Paso ceremony is the Horizon Fire Department, part of El Paso County Emergency Services District No. 1, which covers roughly 148 square miles in eastern El Paso County and protects more than 56,000 residents through two 24/7 stations carrying an ISO Class 2 rating. The district includes Horizon City, Paseo del Este, Agua Dulce, and surrounding unincorporated communities. The department opened a new headquarters on Paseo Del Este Boulevard in October 2025, housing its administrative staff and Fire Marshal's Office, as per Hoodline.
The Sun Bowl itself adds symbolic weight to the climb. Built in 1963 by excavating 220,000 cubic yards of rock from a mountain ravine, the stadium sits at an elevation of 3,910 feet and now seats 51,500 people, having expanded from its original 30,000-seat capacity through renovations in 1982 and 2001. Organizers have not released expected attendance figures for the 25th-anniversary event, and it remains unclear whether registration proceeds will benefit local or national fallen firefighter charities.
