“I loved Spencer. He was more than just a District Chief for me; he was a great friend, a brother. I know a lot of people say that, but the fire department is like family.”

The above is a snippet from a conversation I had this week with Travis Etie about Spencer Chauvin, a near universally admired firefighter and district chief killed last year while serving in the line of duty as a first responder.

Travis, a St. John the Baptist Parish firefighter operator since 2009, is teaming with Spencer’s wife Jennifer to participate in today’s Second Annual New Orleans 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at 400 Poydras Tower.

The memorial climb has first responders dressed in their full gear (that means firefighters in 30 to 65 pounds of equipment) climbing 110 flights of stairs in honor of first responders killed in the 9/11 Twin Tower collapses of 2001 in New York City.

Travis and Jennifer are taking that charge to another level, with Jennifer tackling the climb in full gear, topped with Spencer’s district chief helmet.

To prepare for the daunting climb, Jennifer has trained five days a week since June, the last two months in full gear.

Jennifer said she could never have tackled the climb without Travis, who she describes as a “really good motivator.”

“He said I can do it, so I just have to trust in him. We’ll see what happens. He is not going to let me quit. We’ll be successful together,” Jennifer said.

Travis said Spencer was an awesome friend, adding Jennifer’s commitment to Spencer’s tribute is amazing.

“She has been working real hard, training to do it,” he said. “She pushed through. You can ask anybody around here, I don’t train easy and I don’t take it easy on anybody. She has been a champ, never questioning anything. I’m always pushing her and she always gives more than expected. She has done an awesome job.

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to see and help her get this goal. It is going to be a big accomplishment. It is going to be hard and it’s going to take a toll on the body and mind. Your mind is going to want to tell your body to quit and vice versa. You just have to overcome that.”

Travis acknowledges that first responders put their lives on the line and, at any given time, that can be taken away from them.

As was the case with Spencer Chauvin, it might mean losing one of the best a community has to offer.

Keeping his name alive and honoring his impact through teamwork is inspiring this effort.

“That is where teamwork comes in,” Travis said. “That is what a lot of the fire departments and firefighters are. It’s not something that you do on your own. We’re a unit and we work together. Anytime we go into a house fire, we go in teams of two, at least. Two in, two out; somebody always has your back. That’s what this is. I have her back and she has mine. We’re doing this to represent Spencer and the Spencer Way. I know you have heard of it — you have to do everything with something extra on it.”

It’s been 12 months since a reckless unlicensed motorist drove through a crash scene and killed Chauvin, along with two others.

It’s been 16 years since part of a terrorist plot struck the Twin Towers in New York City, killing 2,753. Included in that number are 343 firefighters, 60 law enforcement officers and eight emergency medical service technicians that frantically worked inside the Towers to save lives when so many others rushed away to safety.

Sacrifices in large and small numbers should never be forgotten. Events like today’s memorial climb ensure they never will.

Stephen Hemelt is publisher and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545 or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.