Firefighters from 26 U.S. states and six countries will participate in this year’s LLS Firefighter Stairclimb – a fundraiser produced by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Washington/Alaska Chapter. Firefighters compete for time and dollars raised.

At 788 feet of vertical elevation, the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle stands as one of the tallest buildings west of the Mississippi and the tallest in Seattle. It takes 69 flights of stairs and 1,356 steps to reach the highly acclaimed Sky View Observatory offering a 360-degree view of the Emerald City. On March 10, 2019, 2,000 firefighters from across the United States and around the world will ascend the tower to support the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and participate in the world’s largest on-air stair climb competition. Over the season, these inspirational men and women will raise funds for blood cancer research and patient services.

This consistently sold-out event is open solely to career or volunteer firefighters who complete this challenging course in full structural turnout gear, while on-air. Completing the climb is a physical triumph in itself, and is also symbolic of the strenuous journey that blood cancer patients endure. As firefighters race to the top, they keep in mind that every step forward represents moving toward finding cures for all those battling these terrible diseases. In 2018, this group of phenomenal climbers brought in a record $2.61 million. Now in its 28th year, this event has raised more than $17 million for cancer research and patient support.

DATE: Sunday, March 10, 2019

LOCATION: Columbia Center
701 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104

The first firefighter will enter the stairwell at 8:00 a.m., followed by the others at 12-second interval releases. A pre-climb opening ceremony kicks off the event at 7:30 a.m. The pre-climb ceremony is very moving and provides great audio and visual opportunities. The Survivor Battalion, comprised entirely of firefighters who are blood cancer survivors, enters the stairwell at 8:20 a.m.

The 2018 top male finisher was Steve Potratz-Lee of Pullman Fire Department, finishing in just under 11 minutes. The 2018 top female finisher was Georgia Daniels of Graham Fire, finishing in just over 15 minutes. The 2018 top fundraising department was Everett Fire Department, raising over $126,000. The 2018 top fundraiser was Mike Lande of Everett Fire Department, raising over $25,000 in honor of his daughter, a blood cancer survivor.

*Due to space limitations, spectators are not allowed inside the Columbia Center during the course of the competition. There is a spectator viewing area on the corner of 5th and Columbia. To gain access to the building, media must check in at the media desk located on the lobby level entrance off of 5th Avenue, between Columbia and Cherry streets.

The LLS Firefighter Stairclimb is a fundraising campaign unique to the Washington/Alaska Chapter. Each participant must raise a minimum of $300 to help further LLS’s mission to find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. To learn more, visit http://www.firefighterstairclimb.org.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ® (LLS) is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services to patients and their families.

Major LLS f

FireRescue1.com and Lexipol, leaders in the fire service, recently announced the merger of the two companies to offer a single, comprehensive platform addressing critical education, training and policy needs among public safety and local government agencies.

The combined company will offer a range of content and solutions unequaled in the public sector, including a library of 200,000 articles and reports, 16,000 policies and procedures, almost 4,000 training courses and a network of digital media communities that includes FireRescue1.com, PoliceOne.com, CorrectionsOne.com and their respective Academy online training platforms. The company’s existing reach includes more than 7,000 fire departments, police departments and municipalities, with nearly 2 million public safety professionals and local government leaders who rely on the properties for mission-critical information, training and policies.

In an era of escalating threats to communities nationwide, fire departments, public safety agencies and local government are struggling to more effectively respond, be better prepared and mitigate risks. These challenges require multi-faceted solutions, which often requires agencies to work with multiple systems and vendors.

The combined company exists to address that fundamental challenge, with a single platform offering robust content and product solutions that educate, engage and connect individuals, agencies, municipalities, insurers, organizations and the companies that serve them. Those solutions include online training and learning management, state-specific policies and procedures, grant assistance and marketing solutions. All are delivered through the company’s award-winning online communities, such as FireRescue1.com, which is one of the top online destinations in the world for firefighting professionals.

FireRescue1 founder and CEO Alex Ford has been named CEO of the newly-merged organization. He will be supported by an experienced management team from both Praetorian Digital, FireRescue1’s parent company, and Lexipol, including Michael Davis, current CEO of Lexipol, who will be joining the board of directors for the combined company.

“This merger joins two complementary offerings together in pursuit of our mission to use digital content and technology to revolutionize the way in which firefighters, departments, municipalities, companies and organizations keep our communities safe and reduce risk,” Ford said. “I’m excited to work with our talented combined team to solve the many critical threats and challenges faced by our nation’s first responders and local government entities.”

“Helping public safety agencies protect their communities is at the heart of what we do at Lexipol. The addition of Praetorian’s robust learning platform will increase the value we provide to our current and future customers,” said Michael Davis, current CEO of Lexipol. “We are excited to join forces in offering the most comprehensive policy and training solution available in the industry and to expand our reach to new markets.”

Lexipol was founded over 15 years ago by Gordon Graham and Bruce Praet, attorneys and former law enforcement officers with extensive experience in risk management. The company provides state-specific policies and related training for law enforcement, fire and rescue, corrections, probation and juvenile detention agencies.

Founded in 1999, Praetorian Digital has grown to support 2 million first responders and municipal leaders with access to articles, videos and training courses through 25 topical websites and e-newsletters and five learning platforms. In addition, its Grant Services division, which includes FireGrantsHelp.com, has helped secure more than $200 million in funding for public safety and local government agencies to date.

The newly combined company is owned by The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm focused on acquiring and in