Transcript: Mayor de Blasio, Police Commissioner O'Neill, FDNY Chief of Department Sudnik Deliver Remarks at U.S. Coast Guard Fast Response Cutter Naming Ceremony

November 12, 2019

Chief of Department John Sudnik, FDNY: Good afternoon, everyone. I want to thank our great partners in the United States Coast Guard, especially our MC for this event, Captain of the Port, Jason Tama. All of us in this city, the FDNY, NYPD, Port Authority, and the Coast Guard – we all work together to protect this port and the citizens of New York and New Jersey. We take care of those who use these waterways for business and for their enjoyment, and we stand together against every threat that comes our way. So, this announcement today is quite fitting because it demonstrates that strong friendship and the incredible bond between our organizations. Jeffery Palazzo and Vincent Danz were heroes for this city. They gave their lives serving others and in their final moments they sought to rescue others from harm. They wore the uniforms of the Coast Guard and of their respective departments, the FDNY and the NYPD.

I'd like to talk about Firefighter Palazzo, for a moment, because he was one of us in the FDNY. He was one of our 343 FDNY members killed on September 11th. For six years, he was in FDNY firefighter, battling fires and protecting life and property in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Rescue Company 5 on Staten Island. Rescue companies are elite units, and Jeff being there meant he had tremendous skills and attributes that we needed in that firehouse. At Rescue 5, he would take part in elaborate rescues in confined spaces or high above the ground, respond to serious fires, and he would respond to incidents along the water, in Staten Island, as well, using his training from the Coast Guard to help protect New Yorkers as a member of the FDNY. When the sentinel-class fast response cutter that will bear his name is completed, it will be a fitting tribute to this remarkable individual who dedicated his life, protecting and serving others. 

On behalf of the Fire Commissioner and every member of the FDNY, I want to thank our brothers and sisters in the Coast Guard for this wonderful honor and tribute to our fallen brother. And like all of you, I look forward to seeing this ship one day protecting others just as Jeff bravely did. 

Thank you once again, and be safe.

Captain Jason Tama, Coast Guard: We’re honored to have as our next speaker Police Commissioner Jim O'Neill. Thank you for being here, sir, and thank you for your many, many years of service to this great city.

[Applause]

Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill: Thank you, Captain Tama. So, on days like this, I missed two things. One, I miss my hair. 

[Laughter]

And two, I miss my uniform, because I’d get to wear a hat. Jason, thank you for the ceremony today. Admiral, thank you for being here. John, thank you for – thank you for your words. Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for being here – And it's important that we are here. I want to thank the Commandant, Admiral Schultz for hosting this most important event. I want to especially thank the families, friends and colleagues of Vinnie Danz and Jeffrey Palazzo. Thank you so much for being with us today. 

We are here to celebrate the lives and respect the sacrifices of these courageous men. Their lives were spent in service to this great city, and great nation, and the people they cared so deeply about. And today, we are reminded once again of the price our service members, our cops, our firefighters, and their families continue to pay. Vinnie and Jeffrey, along with hundreds more of our finest and bravest, only thought about getting the job done on 9/11. They weren't worried about risk to their own safety, because there was their sworn duty to think about others before themselves, and that's a tremendous responsibility. But these heroes accepted it with pride, courage, and conviction. Of course, that reality doesn't make their loss any easier for us to deal with, to understand, or to accept. We still feel the pain and every day we still struggle with the devastating scope of everything we lost on that terrible day. But together, we keep moving forward. We move forward by supporting Vincent and Jeffrey's families, their colleagues and friends by coming together at events like this one, by continuing their important work. This is how we carry on their legacies, by following the example that their heroism, selflessness and deep devotion set for us. We'll do our best to be a little more like them each day. I can't think of a better attribute than this. 

Thank you, again, to all the families, friends, and loved ones for being here today. Again, we offer our deepest condolences and reaffirmed the promise we made 18 years ago – that we will never forget Vincent and Jeffrey’s sacrifice. We'll continue to celebrate the lives that they led. We'll always support you, the people they cared so deeply about. 

Thank you very much.

[Applause]

Captain Tama: It’s now our great honor to introduce the Mayor of the City of New York, the honorable Bill de Blasio. Thank you for being here, sir.

[Applause]

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you, Captain. I’m glad we all got to know Captain Tama in his current role before his future career as a standup comedian.

[Laughter]

Thank you for your leadership here in New York, which has been outstanding. And Admiral, thank you for making the decision that has brought us here together. I want to say on behalf of the people in New York City, Admiral, thank you. This decision honors two great men and it also honors the departments they served. And I want to thank you for doing something that may have been out of the ordinary, but was so important to all of us. You know, a lot of times when we think of a Coast Guard ship or a Navy ship, we think of ships being named after presidents or folks who are famous throughout history. But you know what? There are a lot of heroes whose names are not every-day names, but have done absolutely outstanding, extraordinary things and they need to be honored too. So, this decision by the Coast Guard also recognizes the folks who do the hard work, the heroes who often don't get their due, and it matters to all of us that these two extraordinary cutters will be named for Vincent Danz and Jeffrey Palazzo. 

I want to be very clear that there are people walking around today who are alive because of what these two great men did. There are people who would have been lost, but for these heroes. And that is true of the work they did before 9/11, and it's so painfully true of the work they did on 9/11 – two individuals who ran towards danger always, and saved countless lives. We need to understand that, that is a rare human being and that, that’s the kind of thing that should be honored. Today is special for that reason.

To Dan's family – to Angela, and all the family – we thank you, we honor you. We hope that this day gives you a special measure of comfort. And to the Palazzo family – to Lisa, and all the members of the family – the same, we hope that today will bring a special feeling to you. And to all the family members, to all who served with these two great men, I think you know when something of this importance is done. When the ship that protects us all bears the name, it truly keeps alive the memory and the spirit. It brings back to life, those we loved, and that is something we all can celebrate. 

God bless you all.

[Applause]