Transcript: Mayor Adams Delivers Remarks At FDNY Medal Day Ceremony

June 5, 2024

Watch the video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImWbbMq3tDc

Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh: Good morning. Happy Medal Day. This is a great day, and I am so happy to see everybody here, friends and family, and our very deserving medal winners. 

Medal Day stands as a testament to our department's triumphs, to those moments of unparalleled bravery when our members risk everything to safeguard the lives of their fellow New Yorkers and of one another. Today is a special day, and we'd like to thank everyone who has worked so diligently to make this celebration possible, and we are so happy to be here. 

I'd also like to extend a warm welcome to the family and friends of our honorees. You are integral members of the FDNY family, and we are delighted to have you here on a happy day. We recognize the immense pride you feel for their achievements, and over the years, you've witnessed their dedication, their perseverance, and the countless hours of studying and training that have brought them to this moment. Your unwavering support is undoubtedly part of the guidepost along their journey, so today, their honor is also yours to share, and we're so grateful you are here. Let's give our friends and family a round of applause. 

Our members, you, prove over and over again how committed they are to the lifesaving mission of the FDNY. They are always ready and always on. 

Just last week, a firefighter on his way to work noticed smoke billowing from a building. Without protective gear and before the first firetruck had even arrived, he courageously entered the building. Inside, he found an e-bike engulfed in flames and an occupant desperately trying to save and rescue his dogs. The firefighter insisted he evacuate, and as they made their way out, a second e-bike near the doorway exploded. Acting swiftly, the firefighter closed the door to contain the fire, sustaining burns to his hand. 

Last month, a paramedic had just finished her shift and was in her car to drive home when she witnessed a drive-by shooting. Without hesitation, she promptly notified her lieutenant and chased after the vehicle carrying two gunshot victims, providing lifesaving medical aid. 

This is who we are at the FDNY. You see what you do as a calling, and that's what gives you the conviction and the courage to do what you do, no matter the time of day, no matter if you are on duty or off. No call is ever the same. Every call presents unique challenges. Some may seem straightforward, while others test your physical and mental abilities to the fullest. Each time you respond, you draw upon your training, adapting to the circumstances at hand. It is a constant mental calculation involving split-second decisions, skill, and bravery. It is why you are the best and the bravest.

Medal Day is also a commemoration. Each medal bestowed bears the name of those who made the supreme sacrifice to our city because we vowed to always remember them. In honoring our Medal Day recipients, we pay homage to those who laid the foundation of our department. 

The highest medal for valor is the Chief of Department Peter J. Ganci Medal, presented annually to a firefighter. This year, it's awarded to Lieutenant Mark Russo of Rescue Battalion for his courageous actions responding – we can cheer for him. He responded to the mayday call of a trapped firefighter inside a burning home. 

This year, we proudly introduce the Battalion Chief Thomas J. Neary Harlem Firefighter Medal, graciously endowed by his friends and family to commend exceptional acts of bravery among our members. Battalion Chief Neary's legacy, marked by not one but two Chief of Department Peter J. Ganci Medals, inspires this new honor. Captain Jonathan Shields of Ladder 42, let's clap for him. He is the inaugural recipient of this medal for his courageous rescue of three individuals from a blazing apartment building. 

Our highest award for a meritorious act for members of EMS operations is the Christopher J. Prescott Medal. EMT Emmanuel Titus and EMT Shawn Griffin displayed empathy, compassion, and courage as they put their own lives on the line to save a man whose life literally hung in the balance. Let's give them a round of applause, too. 

Congratulations to all of our Medal Day recipients whose selfless acts are acknowledged today. Each day, our members confront unpredictable challenges that would make most hesitate. Yet the men and women of the FDNY remain unwavering to their dedication to saving lives. On behalf of a grateful city, thank you for always answering the call. God bless America, and may God continue to bless the FDNY. Congratulations.

Captain Andrew Brown, Fire Department: Thank you, Commissioner Kavanagh. Next, we will hear from our Chief of Department, John Hodgens.

Chief of Department John Hodgens, Fire Department: Good morning. Medal Day is a celebration of courage, sacrifice, and the winning spirit of the men and women of the FDNY. Every single day, members of the FDNY respond to fires and emergencies and help New Yorkers get through what very well may be the worst day of their life. 

Today, we honor those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, approaching perilous, unpredictable situations with bravery and skill. The firefighters and EMTs of the FDNY do not shy away from danger. They confront it head-on, fully aware of the risks, but driven by a commitment to protect and serve. 

Today, we celebrate members like the inaugural winner of the Battalion Chief Thomas Neary Medal, Captain Jonathan Shields, Ladder 42. At a fire in the Bronx, Captain Shields entered dangerous and deteriorating conditions not once, but three times to save the lives of trapped occupants. He relied and depended on his vast experience and displayed enormous courage by returning to a hallway three times to rescue victims that no doubt would have perished without his heroic actions. 

In another life-saving scenario, EMT Brendan Burns, working at Station 58, jumped into the rough and unforgiving currents of Rockaway Beach last summer to rescue two swimmers. Carrying a rescue torpedo and depending only on his skills as a former lifeguard, through pure bravery, he was able to bring two people to safety. For this selfless act, Brendan Burns is receiving the Yadira Arroyo Medal. 

That is just a couple of some of the amazing rescuers you will hear about today. Stories of perseverance, action, bravery, and the desire to save others that are synonymous with what it means to be a member of the FDNY. These medals remind us of the countless lives our members have touched in the communities that they serve. Whether they are rushing into a burning building to save a life or administering life-saving medical care, always in challenging conditions, each of our medal winners have shown why we are called New York's Bravest. 

Through the work of dedicated public servants like yourself, the FDNY continues to be the best it can be, the greatest Fire Department in the world. Congratulations to all of you. Thank you for going above and beyond for the citizens of this great city. 

In closing, I pass on a blessing to you which describes my wishes for you and your future. This always hit home with me when I heard it. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. The rains fall soft upon your fields. Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand. God bless the FDNY and God bless the United States of America.

Captain Brown: Thank you, Chief Hodgens. It gives me great pleasure to introduce our next speaker, the Honorable Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: I could not help but to reflect on, we hear our national anthem, one part of it always resonates with me. That is the rocket's red glare, the bomb burst in their air, they proved through the night that our flag was still there. 

A few days ago, I visited two of our first responders who were shot while carrying out their job. One of them, his dad, was a former member of the Police Department. I reflected on my life as a police officer, my cousins, and my youngest brother. As I stand here today, I realize that our flag still flies, it's still in the air no matter what the bombs may be. 

It could be the physical bombs of seeing our center of trade attack. It could be the bombs of COVID when many of you have lost your colleagues and loved ones. It could be the bombs of uncertainties of a fire that started in the beginning of my role as the mayor in the Bronx and watching those burnt walls. You still went in. 

I think the true moment of today of being a hero, to be someone that is willing to run towards danger and not away from that, is that although you do it in your career, you continue to do it over and over again. It is devastating for anyone to go through the psychological challenges of being impacted on a dangerous environment where you may have lost your life or lost the life of a loved one. 

You go back into the burning building, respond to the tragedy. Our EMTs, FDNY, our paramedics, every day you carry out that role. Our flag is still here because you are here. You continue to commit yourself, no matter who's the governor, no matter who's the mayor. There's a consistency for over 159 years in the rich tradition of this department. 

Your family members being there for you like my mother was there for me and my brother. I want to thank you for your heroic actions, but I want to thank you for your consistency and dedication and commitment to ensure that no matter what bomb bursts in the air, our flag will always be here. Thank you very much.