NY firemen in NZ honour victims of 9/11

New York firefighters John Mills (left) and Christopher Barber took part in the stair challenge to honour their fallen colleagues. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Thirteen years have passed since the day New York firefighter John Mills' life changed forever.

Then in his early 20s, he was driving home on September 11, 2001, when he heard news that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Centre towers.

Mr Mills' father, 62-year-old Charles Mills, worked for the city's State Department of Taxation and Finance, based on the 87th floor of the South Tower.

"I got back to my house and I called my mom, who worked in the hospital, and was like, 'Mom, a plane hit the tower.'

"She said, 'I know, John. Your dad just called me, he's okay. They're getting out of the building.' And then I watched the second plane hit. I called up my mom again ... and told her a second plane had hit.

"We never heard anything from my father again."

Mr Mills and fellow New York firefighter Christopher Barber, 38, yesterday joined up to 100 of their Kiwi counterparts at a special event honouring colleagues who died in the terrorist attacks in 2001.

The 9/11 Firefighter Memorial Stair Climb, in downtown Auckland, marked 13 years since two passenger airliners were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Centre towers in New York. Another two hijacked passenger planes crashed into the Pentagon and into a field in Pennsylvania. Almost 3000 people died, including 343 firefighters.

Mr Barber said it meant a lot that New Zealanders were paying tribute to their friends.

"It's really touching and amazing to see that on the other side of the world, at another department, people are coming out to remember the 343 guys that we lost that day and to honour them."