Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: It is an honor and a solemn privilege to be here today with the brave men and women of the FDNY line who work tirelessly each and every day to protect the people of our city, and the family members and loved ones without whom none of that work would be possible.
I want to acknowledge our Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore, our Chief of the Department John Esposito, our First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Flynn, as well as our former commissioners who are here with us today and all of FDNY leadership.
As we prepare to mark the 25th anniversary of the horrific terror attacks of September 11th, I've been thinking of something that Commissioner Bonsignore said recently: that, for many, September 11 was a day that never ended. If anyone understands the depth of commitment, the enormity of sacrifice inherent to that sentiment, it is those of you that are gathered here today.
On September 11th, as it is every day, the men and women of the FDNY went to work protecting the people of this city. You did not hesitate. You ran towards war so that others could run towards home. That work never truly stopped. FDNY members stayed on the pile day and night, recovering those killed, including the 343 active-duty members who lost their lives that day.
As New Yorkers returned to their routines, as we strived to regain some sense of normalcy, you kept working, navigating dangerous debris, removing rubble, putting out fires that burned deep underground, all the while continuing to fulfill your day-to-day obligations to this city.
We know all too well the toll that your commitment to this city and one another took. As we mourned those taken from us on that day, we began to confront another horrific tragedy: the thousands of first responders who were falling ill and passing away. Today, we know the truth of how toxic the air was at Ground Zero, and we reckon each day with the consequences of that exposure. More than 600 members of the FDNY have since passed away from 9/11-related health complications.
When we say, "Never forget," it is not an abstract phrase. It's a deep and abiding commitment to remember the sacrifice made by the FDNY and other first responders, to look after those who are sick and to honor them by building a city that would make them proud.
It is a commitment that must be, like the eternal flame maintained by Squad 288 with HazMat 1 in Maspeth, resolute, unwavering, never allowed to fail. The values that carried the FDNY through the work that you did - selflessness, compassion and a deep solidarity - must guide us in this work.
Over the past months, I've had the great honor of visiting the firehouses and EMS stations across the five boroughs and hearing the voices and the stories of those who were stolen from us on that day. I think of Rescue 3 in the Bronx, and members share the story of Danny Foley, who I'm sure some of you may have known, who spent 10 days searching Ground Zero until he found the body of his brother Tommy Foley. Nineteen years later, like too many other first responders and survivors, Danny tragically passed away due to a 9/11-related illness.
We are together today to honor the 36 FDNY members who have passed away from 9/11-related illnesses over the past year, and to rededicate ourselves to the enduring work of making New York City worthy of each and every one of them. These are fathers and sons. These are husbands and brothers. These were the foundations of their community, and they were proud New Yorkers. They were firefighters and pilots, EMTs and dispatchers, devoted public servants, one and all. Our city is so much worse without them. And yet we are so much better for having known them.
As we pause today to remember those that we lost, let us not simply remember. Let us renew our devotion to those who are sick. Let us renew our commitment to the families of those who have passed away. And let us renew our responsibility to ensuring that the immense sacrifice made by these 36 heroes is repaid with the same service and solidarity that defined each and every one of their lives.
Thank you very much.
