Payback time. Ex-Richland fire chief climbing +1,300 steps in Seattle for a friend

Cameron Probert

Eight years ago, Grant Baynes made what he thought was his final grueling climb up 69 cramped flights of stairs.

The now retired Richland chief descended Seattle’s Columbia Center in a T-shirt and boxer shorts while Richland firefighter Damon Bryan carried the Baynes’ gear down.

This year, Baynes, now 68, returned the favor for the soon-to-retire Richland fire captain when they both participated in the 32nd Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Firefighter Stair Climb on Sunday.

The annual fundraiser brings firefighters from across the West to climb the second tallest building west of the Mississippi. They make their way up 1,311 steps while wearing 50 pounds of firefighting gear, and breathing from the contained oxygen.

The two men share a bond that started with Bryan’s father Charlie Bryan, who died in 2002 just days after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Baynes said Charlie convinced him to join the Richland Fire Department.

Charlie used to say that when he retired he would strip out of his firefighting gear and leave the fire station in his underwear.

While Charlie didn’t follow through with his plan, after his death, Baynes wanted to honor his friend by stripping down at the top of the climb, he said.

March 8, 2015 - Grant Baynes, recently retired Richland fire chief, plans to strip off his heavy firefighting gear and walk away wearing only shorts and a T-shirt after completing the stair climb competition in Seattle. Richland Fire Capt. Damon Bryan, left, followed him down carrying the 60 pounds of equipment. Baynes stripped down to pay tribute to his friend, the late Richland fire Capt. Charlie Bryan, Damon’s father, who often joked about retiring from the fire service wearing only his shorts.

Damon helped Baynes remember his father by carrying the gear back down. At the time, Baynes put his gear into a bag in the garage with no plans to make a fourth climb up the stairs.

But when he heard that Damon Bryan planned to retire, Baynes offered to repeat what they did in 2015. Only this time, Baynes would carry Damon’s equipment down in the elevator.

“I thought it was a good idea,” Baynes said. “I felt it was something really fun and a repeat of what we did.”

Damon said Baynes had always been an incredible friend and mentor.

Climbing for a cause

This will be Damon’s seventh time making the climb. The last time he made the trek was in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic caused cancellations for two of the events.

They both said the climb is a test of endurance. Along with the physical toll, they need to make sure they space out their breaths and not panic.

In a reversal of roles from eight years ago, retired Richland fire chief Grant Baynes, left, will follow Richland Fire Capt. Damon Bryan, down the the stairs carrying his heavy protective fire gear after both of them complete Sunday’s stair climb competition in Seattle. Bryan is retiring this year after nearly 28 years of fire service with the Richland Fire Department.

“It’s a grind. There’s no getting away from that,” Baynes said. “But I find there’s two flights to every floor and a poster on every landing of either a survivor or someone who passed away and it has a little bit of their story. I read every one of those, and when I’m getting a little grumpy, they worked a hell of a lot harder than I did.”

Both men have spent months preparing for the climb. This often includes donning all of the equipment before stepping onto a stair climber and going up several hundred flights. Without the preparation, it’s not likely they would make it to the top.

Damon Bryan said he is more likely to keep his head down, his motivation to help the cause is no less evident. As of Friday, the 52-year-old firefighter has raised just over $15,000. This put him sixth overall in raising funds.

He had been hoping to raise a lifetime total of $75,000, and ended up exceeding that goal by more than $5,000.

Baynes isn’t far behind with more than $9,000 raised, and together they made up most of $28,500 raised by the Richland Fire Department.

You can donate through June to Damon’s fundraising efforts at bit.ly/DamonBryanStairClimb, or to Baynes’ efforts at bit.ly/GrantBaynesStairClimb.

This isn’t the only cause that Damon Bryan has dedicated his time to during his 34-year career as a firefighter, most of that working for Richland. He has been a counselor at an MDA camp and has participated in Fill the Boot campaigns.

“I’m always about a cause,” he said.

Their fundraising efforts do come with some perks, they said. They will be among some of the earliest people to start making their way up the steps.

As the day goes on, the heat in the staircase builds and makes it harder for people to complete the climb.

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