Lebanon Fire Department Rallies Local Community to Support Residents with Lung Disease

Jason Adams, firefighter for the Lebanon Fire Department, first signed up for the Fight For Air Climb at Salesforce Tower as a fun way to train during the winter. Now, the team brings the community together to support residents who suffer from lung disease and lung cancer.

The Lebanon Fire Department participates in the Fight For Air Climb Firefighter Challenge each year. For the event, teams of five or more firefighters compete for the title of the fastest fire department and top fundraising team. The teams are required to climb in full gear – helmet, mask, boots and air tank – which can add 50-75 pounds of weight as they tackle 47 floors, 1,054 steps of the tallest tower in Indiana.

Since his first event three years ago, Adams has served as team captain to help lead the Lebanon Fire Department Fight For Air Climb team. The event is a fun training activity for the team, but also helps them better understand what many of their patients go through.

“The Fight For Air Climb is a really fun thing for us and it gives us something to train for in the winter months,” he said. “We also see a lot of people on our calls who are impacted by lung disease. That is one of our most common call types. When you reach the top of the stairs at the Fight For Air Climb, you have more appreciation of what those people are going through and what they deal with every day. It is a great cause for us to raise some money for.”

Additionally, throughout the years, the team has gotten tremendous support from the Lebanon community.

“We get with local businesses to donate and we have had many local individuals who donate as well. We have been fortunate to have great support from our community,” he said.

The Fight For Air Climb, set for March 7, invites individuals, families, groups of friends, corporate teams and first responders to race up the stairs of Salesforce Tower, a total of 47 floors, 1,054 steps. The event raises awareness for lung disease, raises money for life-saving research, and funds critical educational programs to help local children manage their asthma and help locals quit smoking.

To learn more about the Fight For Air Climb at Salesforce Tower, visit FightForAirClimb.org/Indianapolis.