President Barack Obama visits FDNY Firehouse
President Barack Obama with the members of Engine 54/Ladder 4/Battalion 9, Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, Chief of Department Edward Kilduff, First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Shacknai, Manhattan Borough Commander James Esposito, Chief of EMS Abdo Nahmod, and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
President Barack Obama visited with firefighters at Engine 54, Ladder 4 and Battalion 9 on May 5, 2011.
President Obama, accompanied by former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, arrived around 11 a.m. and was greeted by Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano and Chief of Department Edward Kilduff, as well as a round of applause by all on hand. After meeting each firefighter and officer on duty, President Obama made brief remarks on the apparatus floor thanking the firefighters for their service and discussing the justice brought by the death of Osama bin Laden as a result of a successful Navy SEAL operation in Pakistan.
"This is a symbolic site of the extraordinary sacrifice that was made on that terrible day almost 10 years ago, President Obama said. "When we say we will never forget, we mean what we say."
President Obama, Commissioner Cassano and Chief Joyce at the firehouse memorial wall.
Following his remarks, Commissioner Cassano and Battalion Chief Jack Joyce escorted President Obama to the memorial wall of the firehouse where the 15 plaques of those firefighters killed on September 11th, 2001 are located.
"He was definitely moved by everything he saw in our firehouse," said Firefighter John Fila.
After his tour of the firehouse, President Obama sat down in the firehouse kitchen for a lunch prepared by the firefighters, including eggplant parmesan and pasta with scallops.
Firefighter Joseph Ceravola, who prepared the meal, summed up the lunch and meeting, saying, "it was a great opportunity to thank him, and for us thank all of the troops out there who do so much to keep us safe."