Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Helps Kick Off The 2014 TCS New York City Marathon, Holds Media Availability With Commissioner Bratton

October 30, 2014

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Well, thank you, Mary. Mary is doing an extraordinary job leading this incredibly complicated and incredibly positive endeavor – it means so much to this city, it means so much to everyone who participates, everyone who watches this extraordinary display of human will and human capacity every year. It's become synonymous with the spirit of this city, as Commissioner Bratton and I were just discussing – the phrase that "we are unstoppable" is exactly true of the marathon runners, and it's exactly true of this city. And Mary and her entire team have done something extraordinary for this city, and it's getting better every year. Let's thank Mary and everyone at the marathon for all they do.

[Applause]

Now, I think a number of you are familiar with the fact that I like things that are fair to all five boroughs. And I can think of nothing more fair to all five boroughs – more equal opportunity – than the New York City Marathon. And it's not just the marathon itself once a year, it's all the other events that New York Road Runners have organized all over the five boroughs – almost 50 events each year. And a real emphasis – and I think everyone also knows how much I'm focused on our schoolchildren – the marathon, the Road Runners, put a huge emphasis on our schoolchildren as well – free programs throughout the year for more than 120,000 New York City public school students. That is absolutely extraordinary, and deeply appreciated.

I'm honored today to also be in the presence of two American running legends – Meb Keflezighi and Tatyana McFadden – both who have done extraordinary things in this marathon, and have shown us all tremendous examples of athletic skill, and determination. I want to wish great luck to them this year, and all the athletes who are participating, and athletes of every background, sharing in this extraordinary event – an event open to people of all abilities and capacities. And I want to thank the folks from our city who are working to always support the inclusive nature of this marathon – a special thank you to Victor Calise, the commissioner for the Mayor's Office of People with Disabilities, who joins us today. 

Now, we're New Yorkers, so from time to time we brag about the fact that the things we have are the biggest and the best. This is a case where no one debates – we have the biggest and the best marathon anywhere in the world. It is the largest in the world – 50,000 plus runners and wheelers from over 125 countries and all 50 states. This year's race will have a very special moment in it, because at some point, the one millionth runner in the history of the marathon will cross the finish line. That is an extraordinary statement unto itself of what's been achieved.

[Applause]

I personally am not sure I can get more than five miles. I’m kind of amazed that there’s been a million situations where someone ran 26 plus miles, so that is a testament to the human spirit. Also, this year, we add to the marathon family a new title sponsor and really appreciate their support for this extraordinary endeavor. We welcome TCS as the title sponsor, and we thank them for what they are doing for the marathon and for New York City.

Now, as the race day nears, you can feel the excitement. This is something that builds in the days leading up. People in New York City become aware of something special happening – people here, from all over – to join into it. There’s a great feeling on the streets of this city. And, it’s an extraordinary moment for us economically, as well. Our hospitality sector runs at full tilt this time of year. And it’s great for jobs in this city. It’s great for our economy. I want to thank Fred Dixon, the president and CEO of NYC & Company, for the great work he’s doing, and his whole team are doing, to support the marathon, to encourage more and more people to participate. And it’s part of their efforts and part of why the marathon has such a big impact on our economy. Now, we are concerned always to make everything come off without a hitch. The marathon is an extraordinarily – it’s an amazing enterprise – but it’s also an extraordinarily logistically complicated enterprise. And it’s something that makes New Yorkers proud to see how well it’s put together each and every year.

We all focus, in particular, on the safety and security of our athletes and of all the spectators. We have every reason to expect the best because the preparations have been so extraordinary. We’ve learned year in and year out how to do it even better. And, we have city agencies that are the best at what they do, that are part of the effort from day one.

We always make sure we’re prepared. And yesterday I had the honor of joining with Commissioner Bratton and the leadership of the NYPD and a number of other agencies to review the plans for the marathon – to talk about different scenarios, to talk about how we would handle different events. The exercise was led by Chief Jim Waters, who’s here with us today. And thank you, chief, for all you do. It’s an amazing thing to watch the though process of our public safety leaders, to watch how experienced they are, how creative they are, how careful they are, in protecting all of us. And it was great to have representatives of other key agencies, not only city agencies but the FBI, MTA, and a number of agencies that are part of this, and Mary and her team were there as well – so, a really focused, coordinated effort to ensure that everyone is safe, regardless of what we encounter.

Now, of course, everyone is thinking about current events. People have thought about the issues raised by the Ebola crisis. And, I’ve said it time and time again, there is no cause for alarm in this city. We got great news in the last few days, of nurse Vinson being well and leaving the hospital. We’ve said time and time again to New Yorkers, there is no cause for alarm because this is not a disease one catches through casual contact. In fact, it’s a very difficult disease to contract, and the proof is quiet obvious in what’s happened in this country.

Well, on top of that, we have the best public health professionals in the world, here in this city, keeping us safe every day. And their performance in this last year has been absolutely outstanding and has made all New Yorkers proud. And I want to thank all of them and the Department of Health, HHC, etcetera – all represented today by Dr. Oxiris Barbot, our first deputy commissioner at the Department of Health. And we thank her and her colleagues for the extraordinary job they’ve done in this crisis.

So, the bottom line is, this is a marathon that has been an extraordinarily positive event for this city, year in and year out. The preparations have been careful and mindful always. This year, the best professionals in health and safety have added their input to make sure things will go smoothly. And we anticipate a great, great day. 

You know, something about the marathon touches us all. It’s not just the way we see the people of all nations gathered together, it’s not just the way the fans feel a closeness to the athletes – that’s rare in our ways of watching sports – there’s something else about the endurance, the spirit, the ability to do something that seems beyond the human grasp, that inspires us. The marathon inspires us, it helps us see things in ourselves we didn’t even know were there. And one of the great runners, who won the New York City Marathon in 1974, Katherine Switzer, said “If you’re ever losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.” I think she’s exactly right. Go out and watch a marathon. But especially, go out and watch our marathon because just the sheer multitude of people, both athletes and energized warm, loving spectators – it’s something that makes you feel great about the human experience. It’s certainly something that makes you feel great about the city of New York.

Something else that should make you feel great about the city of New York is we not only have the finest police force in the United States of America, we have the finest police leader in the United States of America. And every day he does an extraordinary job in keeping us safe – NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton.         

[…]

Mayor: We want to take question now related to the marathon and public safety around the marathon, and obviously anything related to the Ebola situation. So, we’ll stay to those topics now. We welcome your questions. Yes?

Question: Have there been any credible threats to the marathon that you’ve received or is it pretty much all clear?

Mayor: No, but I’ll let the commissioner speak [inaudible]

Commissioner Bratton: No – good news is that there is no intelligence indicating any specific threat directed against this event or the city. Actually, we stay very much aware of that, very much focused on it. The good news going into the event is that we are not aware, at this time, of anything that is specifically related to the event.

Question: [inaudible]

Commissioner Bratton: On the issue of drones, drones are a growing concern, not only in New York but across the country. And in fact, next week we have a terrorism conference that I will be hosting here in New York City, and one of the areas we will be focusing on – I have the chief coming in from Los Angeles, Charlie Beck. The commissioner of the metropolitan police from London will be in here. And that’s a topic we are going to be discussing. The city council in L.A is reviewing legislation to start impacting on that specific issue. In New York City, drones are authorized for recreational use in two areas in the city, and only those two areas. And other than that, it is against the law. It’s an administrative violation that, depending on circumstances, is subject to arrest. And so, we’re increasingly focused on that. And the mayor and I, as recently as yesterday, discussed that issue.

Question: Just a two part question regarding what happened in Canada and the attack on the NYPD officers, and also Ebola. What are you doing? What steps are you taking to ensure security, and what steps are you taking to ensure that the runners are healthy and safe?

Commissioner Bratton: In terms of the crowd management issues, the security issues, that – we are prepared as we always are. The issues in Canada and the terrorist incident here last week, where our officer was assaulted with the hatchet – that have certainly raised concerns about that lone wolf type of activity that would’ve been focused on at this time. We have increased security, certainly around public buildings, and you’ll see that in Manhattan. At the event itself, the marathon, that we have in excess of over 4,000 officers that will be involved in primary security for that event – traffic agents. And additionally, we will have four of our airships up, and will have about 20 of our vessels in the waters. In addition, we have, as you know, an extraordinarily capable counterterrorism capability, coupled with our colleagues at the FBI. So, we are very prepared. We are very focused.  And at this juncture, in light of recent events, we are working with the public in the sense of, as always, seeking their cooperation, the see something, say something – that’s certainly very appropriate during these events.

Question: Mayor de Blasio, this is for you, the city and state just announced that they will be helping health care workers fight Ebola. What would you say to speculation that this is a political calculation because of the criticism for the New Jersey and New York quarantines?

Mayor: This is something we have to do as a nation. And every part of our country should contribute to this effort. As you know, the United States military is going to be playing a very big role in arrested this disease and ending this crisis. But, healthcare professionals are needed and we happen to be one of the parts of the country with the finest hospitals, and teaching hospitals, medical schools – we happen to be one of the places where a lot of the great medical talent resides. And so, it is incumbent upon New York state and New York City to play a leading role in recruiting and supporting medical professionals going over.

Question: Mayor –

Question: Is there any attempt to push back on criticism for the New York and New Jersey quarantine?

Mayor: Look, I’m doing this because I think it is something we need to. And Governor Cuomo and I discussed it and believe equally, it’s something that this city and this state can contribute to ending the crisis. We have to remember, the best way to solve this problem is at the root cause. Now, let me hasten to add, at this moment in the entire country – the entire United States of America – a country of over 330 million people, there is one and only one case of Ebola. Everyone else – with the exception of Mr. Duncan, who obviously was caught very, very late in the situation – everyone else was cured. Today, Dr. Spencer remains in serious but stable condition, and we’re encouraged by that. So, the problem is not here. The problem is at the root cause in the three countries, and we’ve got to get medical professionals over. And that’s to protect our own people as well.

Question: Mayor, have you changed the city’s quarantine policy? The state had said that family members could visit. The city’s quarantine policy was that there were no visitors. Can you explain that discrepancy and whether you are now on the same page?

Mayor: Yes, we are on the same page. First of all, in the first instance, when we had the first case in New York City, we acted out of an abundance of caution. And again, Dr. Spencer was extraordinarily helpful in identifying anyone he had had truly close contact with. As everyone knows, that came down to three people. They were put in a more restrictive quarantine because we wanted to act out of an abundance of caution while we figured out our overall approach. We appreciate the state guidelines. We will now align to those guidelines. So that means, for the three individuals, they will remain at home. And they of course will be monitored twice a day by health professionals. But now they will be allowed to have visitors, as is indicated by the state quarantine rules. Those visitors, of course, will be carefully logged in and kept track of.

Question: Just a quick unrelated follow, can you and Commissioner Bratton share your thoughts on Mayor Menino, who passed away today?

Mayor: Well, we just heard, literally while we were sitting here at the event. I never got to know Mayor Menino personally, but I can tell you, as someone who grew up in the Boston area, you know, he is a legend for what he contributed to Boston, over a very long period of time. And you know, I think it's a striking fact that he was in office a very long period of time, maintained not only his popularity but his sense of connection to people at the neighborhood level, and did a lot to help that city become stronger – and obviously to see it through even its most recent challenges, including the tragedy that occurred at the marathon a few years ago. So, I think there's a lot that he did that helped make Boston a better place, and he'll be missed. 

Commissioner Bratton: I've had the honor and the pleasure of knowing Mayor Menino for almost 35 years. That first exposure to him was in 1980 – I was superintendent of the police in Boston, and he was one of the city council members. And he is truly one of the true great mayors in the last half of the 20th century, going into the 21st. Mayor Kevin White, who began the transformation of Boston in the 60s and 70s, and then Tommy in the 90s into the 21st century. Boston – the Boston I knew in 1970 versus the Boston of today – its transformation was miraculous, and Tom Menino, for 20-some-odd years, led that city – tough guy, a really tough guy, and we butted heads on more than one occasion, but I was very saddened this morning to hear of his passing. He was here last week, actually, on his book tour – very ill, he came down, had to leave early from that book tour because he took sick, and immediately went into the hospital in Boston upon his return. So, I'll be traveling up to Boston for the services, which I imagine would be beginning of next week. 

Question: Last year, there were changes in security rules for the marathon because of what had happened in Boston the year before. Those changes are still in effect here, and did you learn anything from the people who were running it last year about how that might be tweaked a little bit, in terms of bags and other stuff like that?

Commissioner Bratton: My predecessor, Commissioner Kelly last year, and Jim Waters, who was our chief of counterterrorism – who was in that capacity last year, and remains so this year – security was ramped up very significantly last year, as you might expect. We have kept that same level of security and then some for the events this year, even though there is, as I mentioned, no threats – credible threats – that have been focused on this event. But, we always continue to try and learn from others’ misfortunes. And I was in Boston last year, spent some time there looking at what they had done to ramp up their security for the event in 2014 – the event that they ran this year. And so, we, at the tabletop exercise we had yesterday, that we were continuing the learning process. No, we're in great shape for this event, and are looking forward to enjoying it, along with the rest of the people who'll be here in the city for that day.

Question: Just a quick follow-up, police commissioner, can you talk about the rule with the bags – I assume that's the same as last year, and is anything different this year that's being done, that was not done last year?

Commissioner Bratton: Let me ask Chief Waters to speak specifically to the issue of bags, where they're limited and what you can expect as you attempt to – particularly in some of the venues along the route – what you might expect. Jimmy?

Counterterrorism Bureau Chief James Waters, NYPD: So there won't be – all the runners will be – go through magnetometers, and be searched. There'll be no backpacks inside of the fort. There'll be clear plastic bags in our partnership with Road Runners. We learned a lot – as the commissioner and the mayor have said – from last year. We did some hot wash after the marathon last year. We looked for the feedback through social media with respect to what the runners felt, how they felt – and they felt reassured by our police presence, and the presence of all the other city agencies. So, we're looking forward to a very safe and exciting day on Sunday.

Mayor: Chief, you have to tell the world what a hot wash is.

Bureau Chief Waters: Hot wash is the After Action Report. So we sat down with the Road Runners, as well as all the other agencies, and we learned what we did very well, and learned what we could do to improve. 

Mayor: [Whispering] Hot wash. Sounds like a car wash.

Commissioner Bratton: Oh, it's like "ruggedized."

Mayor: [Laughs] 

[Commotion]

Question: – violating the voluntary quarantine – would you say this is a sign that the mandatory quarantine in New York and New Jersey is justified, or how would you comment on that?

Mayor: Look, I don't – I don't want to talk about one individual's point of view. She has a right to her point of view as an American. I think what's clear about her is, she didn't go through the trajectory she should have– I have said this before. She was treated as if she had done something wrong, when she is in fact a hero for what she did serving people in need in Africa, and protecting not only them, but protecting us in the process. So, I think we have to mindful of the fact that she was put through a very inappropriate and unfair experience and, you know, I think some of her feelings come from that. And I think it would be important for just – people to respect her service, and the fact that she was wronged, and I'm sure her – she has very strong feelings, which she's voiced, about that.

Phil: A couple more, guys.

Mayor: Go ahead.

Question: With you encouraging healthcare workers to go overseas, are we expecting an uptick in folks coming back who you'll have to monitor, and how is the city preparing to do that?

Mayor: I think we have to pay attention to the numbers here. As you know, Doctors Without Borders has been the leading nonprofit organization helping to organize medical support for those three countries. Hundreds and hundreds of healthcare professionals have gone as part of this effort, from all over the world. Only three became ill. So – and I think the work being done to protect people is improving all the time. It – literally, in the months of this crisis, you've seen improved techniques for protecting people who are directly involved. This is, again, a very hard disease to contract. When the proper precautions are taken, in particular, it's very hard to contract. So, I think the important thing is we need healthcare professionals to volunteer to go and end – and end this crisis once and for all. That's the name of the game. And we're going to support them in every way we can. 
Let's see if there's anyone over here.

Question: [inaudible] a second ago, are you telling your officers to do anything differently, or to be on the lookout for anything this year, in light of Ottowa and in light of what happened in Jamaica?

Commissioner Bratton: Well, I think clearly that in light of the growing concern that we've expressed over a number of months about the morphing from the Al Qaeda focus, on the big event, to the ISIS-inspired lone wolf type of event – that, certainly, our – reach out to our officers in preparation for this event – for that matter, for any event. The idea of being mindful of that potential threat – you try to protect against it, and the best protection is the idea of the see something say something. As recently as – different roll calls that I've been doing over the last several days, I've been admonishing our officers, to the best of their ability, that, you know, we're very much all focused on our phones, our smartphones, et cetera, that – and we're in the process of issuing 35,000 of those over the next year or so – that it needs to be the constant awareness of your surroundings. So, we're constantly reminding about – from an officer safety standpoint – just that, be aware of your surroundings. It's hard work. We are a society that's now – we're all going to have sore necks in our old age from bending down – [Mayor laughs] – and so, the same thing with our cops. It's really a matter of continually pushing, that those are very valuable tools, but you still have to mindful of what's around you at every given time. 

Question: You said a second ago – what's been ramped up since last year? You alluded to that a second ago.

Commissioner Bratton: That – well, in terms of last year, it was ramped up significantly, because of the Boston Marathon bombing previously. And so, there's been a significant ramping up last year. This year, it's been contemporized – things that we've learned, skills that we've acquired, expertise, better equipment that we have – and, some of which is publicly known, a lot of which is not. There's an awful lot of what goes on in this event that you will see, but an awful lot that you don't see behind the scenes.

Mayor: Let me just speak to this previous point, because – look, the public really has a role to play here. The lone wolf phenomenon is not profoundly different from what we've seen with, for example, these horrible shootings at schools. The incidents, one after another, we've seen the profiles, over and over again – a disturbed individual, an individual, who, yes, in some cases they're radicalized, but it also looks like the root cause – time and time again – there's either a mental health challenge, or some other kind of problem in their life – and that means that there often will be warning signs. There was a lot of deep concern – for example – after the Newtown tragedy, about the warning signs that were visible about that young man who committed that horrible act, and whether those warning signs, had they gotten to the right places, could have led to some action being taken. So, I want people to recognize that we are never powerless in these situations. You may know something, you may see something, that could help the NYPD do its job. You may see someone who's obviously in need of some help, and there's ways to get them that help. So, it's very, very important. It takes the concept of "if you say something, say something" kind of another step. It's not just, look, there may be a package left unattended. You may also see someone saying things, or hear someone saying things, that sound violent and negative. You may hear someone saying things that sound threatening. Those things need to be reported to give the NYPD an opportunity to act.

Phil: Last call, guys.

Question: [inaudible] all five boroughs –

Mayor: Yes.

Question: So where do you [inaudible] spectators to watch the marathon besides First Avenue [inaudible] where it's really congested, and where are you watching the marathon this time?

Mayor: Well, I'll be at the start of it. And we'll see from there the various points I may go to, but where I have loved watching it is in my old neighborhood at 4th Avenue and 11th Street, which is not a particularly well-known site, it's just the site that I've enjoyed watching from – and that feeling of the marathon just suddenly coming into our lives, and blossoming right in front of us, and that – it's incredibly exciting that it just becomes a part of people's lives, and watching people from all over the neighborhood flock to 4th Avenue to be a part of it. So, that's a place that means a lot to me.
Go ahead. Yeah. Right there.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: Louder, please.

Question: [inaudible]

Mayor: Well, that's what we want to determine – what will facilitate and help these healthcare workers to get there. One of the things the governor and I spoke about – and we outlined this a bit on Sunday evening – is when there are military reserve members who also work in healthcare, they are given a tremendous amount of support. There – it's very, a very careful process to make sure that their professional trajectory is protected, and you know, their work is protected, their salary's protected. We have to make sure we're doing the same thing here. Again, this is a fight to protect the healthcare of people around the world, including the healthcare of the United States of America. So, we have to make sure that anyone who's willing to go there and support our nation gets the support they need.
One more on this, last call.

Question: Mr. Mayor, you've talked a lot about the coordination between the city and the state. Given that the quarantine order was issued by the governors of New York and New Jersey, how much communication is going on between New Jersey and the city of New York? Do you have any sense of how many people they're monitoring there, any other additional quarantines there – are you getting regular updates from New Jersey?

Mayor: No, we did not – personally, no. I think our health department is talking to health departments not only locally, but around the country. As I've said, you've seen in the care of Dr. Spencer – great care being taken to get the best practices and most up-to-date information from other experts around the country. But the real issue for us, day to day, is the coordination with the state of New York, and as I said, that's happening on a daily basis, and there's constant communication between the two health commissioners, in particular. 

Phil: Thanks guys.

Mayor: Thanks, everyone.