Transcript: Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Nigro Deliver Remarks at Annual Fire Department Memorial Day Ceremony

October 11, 2017

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you very much, Captain. To everyone, this is one of the most solemn and humbling ceremonies each year in the city and it causes us to reflect, first and foremost, on the lives of the good people we’ve lost and their service to us, causes us to reflect on the pain that these good families are feeling and our need to stand by them for the rest lives. But it’s also a moment to think about this work that brave people do.

The phrase ‘New York’s Bravest’ had to be earned over decades, in fact, over 150 years, a century and a half, and it is earned every day. All those who wear the uniform live that phrase in their every action. We see it our own lives and our own neighborhoods, the selfless acts, the extraordinary bravery, it reminds us that some words really do have meaning even in a troubled time. New York’s Bravest make us proud, give us a sense of security and faith, no matter what else is swirling around us. So even though it is a somber occasion, it’s also an opportunity to reflect on the blessing that the FDNY is to New York City.

I want to thank Commissioner Nigro and Chief Leonard, and all the leadership of the FDNY. I want to thank the labor leaders who represent these good men and women who do so much to protect us, Jake Lemonda of the UFOA, Gerard Fitzgerald of the UFA, Jack Sullivan of EMS Superior Officers, and Oren Barzilay of Uniform EMT’S Paramedics & Fire Inspectors, thank you for your leadership.

It’s a difficult day when we think of 12 good people lost. Our hearts are heavy, and yet we’re filled with admiration for what they devoted themselves to, how they lived their lives, the fact that they did not hesitate when others are in danger. The monument behind us is a reminder of 152 years, a powerful and inspiring human story, an unbroken chain of service and devotion.

New Yorkers know when they hear a siren in the night, they know that means help is on the way, they have faith in the FDNY. It has been proven time and time again. There are many places where that might not be true in this world, where you don’t know if help is coming, but in this city you always know help is on the way and it comes in the form of the bravest and most exceptional individuals, the greatest professionals in their field. But that does not diminish the fact that every single day when one of these good men and women leave their home, they understand the danger ahead. When they say goodbye to a loved one they know, and their loved ones know, that God forbid that could be the last time. And that is what we come here today to recognize, we come here in solidarity with these families.

And we think about that devotion that is so strong in the members of the FDNY, there’s no greater example, than firefighter William Tolley. Devotion was the definition of his life and all he did and his devotion was greatest for his daughter Bella. His love for her, something like a current that ran through everything he did in his life, and that love will continue to strengthen her throughout her life. And he loved his work and he loved his colleagues. And he answered the call to duty every day for 14 years until one day – a seemingly and normal and routine day – tragedy struck. Everyone in this department felt this loss. It was personal. There is a family of the FDNY and in those days after Will Tolley’s death the family was hurting.

But here is something else that is true about the FDNY. Even in pain they are ready to serve. And it was just a few days later that we saw one of the worst fires in a long time – five alarm fire in Queens. A horrible tragedy in which young people were lost,  a swift, raging fire that could have caused so much more destruction and could have endangered so many more lives. But the FDNY was there no matter what the pain the members were feeling. They brought all of their devotion and their energy. They stopped that fire dead in its tracks. They saved any number of other lives. That is resiliency incarnate.

And I was reminded again, this last weekend, I was at EMS Station 26 in the Bronx that is where EMT Yadira Arroyo served, 14 years of devotion to this city and of being a model to everyone who met her. She also loved her homeland of Puerto Rico. And even though Station 26 has known heartbreak, they turned it into action. And I saw her fellow first responders there together, EMTs and firefighters at that station gathering relief supplies for Puerto Rico. Going above and beyond again. Not just saving lives here, but helping those who have experienced an unbelievable tragedy over 1,000 miles away. What a fitting tribute to EMT Arroyo.

We will always remember the 12 men and women who we memorialize today. We will remember what they stood for. We will remember that they represented the best in this city. We will learn once again from their example what we should be for each other. And even though it is a painful day, everyone here should know, there are 8.5 million New Yorkers in this city. And they are eternally grateful to you.

Thank you and God bless you all.

[Applause]

Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro: This monument where we gather today was built more than a century ago by the people of a grateful city. It was paid for and constructed by New Yorkers who watched for years as our firefighters bravely ran into buildings to save lives. They watched as our members battled the fires, scalded buildings, dragged hoses, and raced quickly through the streets of our city, putting aside their own fears and the grave dangers they faced. Those same New Yorkers would line the streets to honor our fallen members, firefighters killed in the line of duty, brave individuals who made the supreme sacrifice laying down their own lives so that others would live. This monument is a lasting tribute to all those who serve the FDNY and like our great department, it has withstood the test of time. For 152 years the Fire Department of New York has answered every call for help that has come our way. Our firefighters today continue to run into burning buildings day after day because there are still lives to be saved.

And while fighting fires, that fundamental reason our department was founded remains important, our mission has without question grown dramatically and today encompasses so much more. Today, our EMTs and paramedics bravely and professionally provide the best pre-hospital emergency medical care in the world. We respond to terrorist incidents that threaten not only the people we have all sworn to protect but our very way of life. We prepare daily for the most extreme circumstances, the worst disasters both natural and manmade. Our members go well beyond our borders to bring aid and incredibly skilled rescue operations to catastrophic incidents across the country, most recently in Texas, in Florida, and in Puerto Rico. And we remain vigilant always because that’s what it takes to protect our city.

All of this difficult work requires dedication, compassion, unwavering commitment, and above all else bravery. But that bravery has so often required our department to pay the steepest price imaginable. 1,147 of our members have lost their lives fulfilling their oaths and acting in the purest and greatest traditions of bravery. 159 more of our members to date have lost their lives due to illnesses acquired in our darkest and perhaps our finest hours at the World Trade Center following the attacks of September 11th. Sadly those numbers will continue to grow because all of you face very real dangers in this job.

It takes true courage to commit yourself to the training required to fight a fire and provide that medical care in dangerous circumstances. And yes, you run into burning buildings, you know it, I know it, every New Yorker knows it. It takes great bravery to do your job.

And unfortunately we’ve experienced all too often the cost and sacrifice required for such commitment and for such bravery. EMT Yadira Arroyo possessed that bravery when she fought for her patients on every call, and when she fought to prevent something dangerous from happening to pedestrians and motorists around her on that terrible day in March. Firefighter William Tolley possessed that bravery when he battled that difficult fire this past April, and when he went out the door again and again to fight fires, protecting the residents of Queens.

All of the members we honor today possess that bravery. They displayed it every day of their careers. We honor all of them, not for how they died but for the incredible way in which they lived dedicating themselves to the lifesaving mission of our department.

To the families of these brave members, please know we will always remember your loved ones in our hearts and here, every year, at our memorial. Your strength in the face of such immeasurable loss is an inspiration to every single FDNY member and we are all here today because your loved ones mattered greatly to this department and to our city. May God bless the memory of every FDNY member who has died in the line of duty, who is battling illness, and all those members of the FDNY we lost this past year. And may God continue to bless the FDNY.