The FDNY Foundation is proud to partner with SL Green Realty Corp. for the 3rd Annual FDNY Foundation Climb to SUMMIT at One Vanderbilt in New York City on Sunday, May 4, 2025. Climbers will race up 1,100 feet in the sky to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt to highlight the importance of physical fitness for the brave FDNY firefighters, EMTs and paramedics who are always ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Funds raised will help purchase stair climbers for FDNY firehouses and EMS stations.

Recently, firefighters had to run up 21 flights of stairs donning full bunker gear weighing upwards of 60 lbs in 70+ degree weather to rescue families trapped in a fire in a high-rise building as the elevators were inoperable. After such a strenuous climb, they then executed a lifesaving roof rope rescue on the outside of the building to save the occupants. Timing, training and physical fitness all played an integral part of the success of this life-saving incident. 

One Vanderbilt anchors the modernization of Manhattan and shines like a beacon to the world with its iconic shape, setting a new standard for architecture in New York. Measuring 1,401 feet tall, One Vanderbilt is the tallest commercial skyscraper in midtown Manhattan and among the top 30 tallest buildings in the world. This momentous climb ends at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt located in the crown of the building. SUMMIT is New York’s newest and most immersive observatory experience offering a masterful blend of multisensorial art, technology, and thills amongst 360-views of the skyline.