Transcript: Mayor Adams Delivers Remarks at FDNY Annual Memorial Day Ceremony

October 9, 2024

Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker: Thank you very much, captain, and thank you, Mr. Mayor, for being here to honor us today. I was just thinking about what a gorgeous day it is for such an important celebration. So good morning, everyone, and welcome. Thank you for gathering to honor the lives of the members who have died in the last year. Memorial Day is a sad day, but a necessary day for our department. Posted every year in October, it gives us a chance to pause and reflect. 

Since you were here last year, we've suffered the loss of 14 members, two of those in the line of duty, including Frederick Whiteside and Supervising Fire Marshal George Snyder. We continue to suffer World Trade Center-related illness deaths, and sadly, as the rabbi mentioned, we lost Monsignor John Delendick. 

More than 370 members have died of illness related to their time at the World Trade Center, time spent in rescue and recovery, time they gave selflessly. We know those numbers will continue to increase. The FDNY knows all about loss. Our members take this job knowing that loss is a possibility given the dangerous work they do. Today, we're saddened by the weight of these losses. 

The members we honor today were all selfless, amazing people who gave their lives in dedication to service of our city. Their sworn oath to serve and protect guided their every day, and we know they lived as they worked with honor and dignity. Let us pay tribute to them. Let us honor them. We do that by honoring our traditions, by lining the streets in salute, by donning your uniforms and standing silently in respect for the families of the deceased. Be comforted in knowing that we do this every year in the same way with the same reverence. 

We do this so we can remember the very special place our fallen have in our hearts, the courage needed to come to work every day, and the dedication that was always on display for their careers and for their families. With a promise of never forgetting, we offer ourselves to the families as an anchor of support. Our promise doesn't end in death, rather it is renewed in death. And for the 14 families of those we lost, we remind you of this today and always. We promise to never forget, and we promise to keep your loved one's memory alive. May God bless you, and may God bless the FDNY.

John Esposito, Chief of Operations, Fire Department: Good morning. Mr. Mayor, Mr. Commissioner, thank you all for being here today to remember the FDNY members lost in the past year. This event is a very special one on our calendar. Looking out and down Riverside Drive, we see thousands of members of this department who have shown up to pay respects and tribute to our fallen members, our fallen brothers and sisters. This great turnout today reminds me that we are truly a family. Families take care of each other. They show up to help each other. They are there when needed. Saying we are family is the easy part. Showing we are family is what matters. 

Thank you to all our firefighters, fire marshals, EMTs, paramedics, and officers for showing up today and every day. On the monument behind us, on the south and north side of the monument, are two sculptures. One represents duty and one represents sacrifice. They stand as powerful symbols of the values that our members uphold every day on every run. The words remind me not only of the courage it takes to answer the call, but of the ultimate price some of our members pay in the service to others. Duty compels our members to rush toward danger when others retreat. Sacrifice reflects the profound loss we endure when that duty costs them their lives. 

This year, we honor 14 members of our FDNY family, two of whom we lost in the line of duty, and one whose passing was the result of World Trade Center-related cancer, a tragic legacy we continue to fight more than two decades after that terrible day. Each of the individuals represents the best of us, their dedication, bravery, and love of this city. Love of this city and its people, which are the backbone of this department. Their names and stories will be remembered. Their plaques will be hung in firehouses, offices, and EMS stations around the city. They are forever a part of the FDNY. 

To the families here today, we know that no word can ease your pain or fill the void left by your loved ones, but please know that their memory is cherished and their service will never be forgotten. This department is with you, not only today, but always, honoring their legacy with the same sense of duty and sacrifice that define their lives. We will continue to be inspired by these heroes, and their example will guide us in our own service. They will live on in the actions we take, the lives we saved, and the bonds we share as members of the greatest fire department in the world. May God bless their memories, and may God continue to bless the FDNY. 

Mayor Eric Adams: I still recall September 11th, 2001, going down to our center of trade, watching the smoldering grounds. I remember when I was a kid, watching the smoldering grounds. I remember wondering what was next, the question mark that lingered over not only what was going to happen to the greatest city in the world, New York, but also our country. 

And then on September 12th, even after losing 343 members directly on that day, and a number of men and women of the agency I was part of, and my kid brother, New York City Police Department, September 12th, we got up. With all the pain, with all the uncertainty, we got up. And we continued to show who we are and our resiliency. And I draw on that every day. And often people ask, why are we willing to push forward, even in spite of the pain, and we turn our pain into purpose as we continue to do the jobs that we're called to do. Never to surrender, never to give up. 

And I look at the members of the 14 families that are here today, and I often hear over and over again as I start my day, listening to those lyrics that state, that the rocket red glare of bomb bursting air gave proof through the night that our flag is still here. Our flag is here because you are here. And you lived and personified the words of never forget. Never forget, as the commissioner stated, over 114 years, you never forgot those who you have lost. 

Nothing personifies the spirit and energy of family more than this department and brotherhood. As I speak to the firefighters and visit the firehouses and hear how you never forget each other, and to the families who are here, you should know that you're always part of this family. 

I love the fact that I put on that bulletproof vest for 22 years and protected the children and families of this city, just as you and those we are honoring today love the fact that they ran towards danger to protect the people of this city. This is what service is about. You inspire me, you encourage me. We will never surrender. We will never give in. We will always fight for what this country represents. 

From the days of my 19-year-old uncle who died on the fields of Vietnam, to the days of the 14 individuals we honor today, it personifies what makes us great as a country. Service, bravery, commitment, dedication, resiliency. That is who we are. No one can ever take that away from us. I thank the family members for giving their loved ones to the people of this city. God bless FDNY. God bless America. May God bless our city. Thank you.

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