The Remarks Of Speaker Sheldon Silver

EMS Memorial Ceremony

ESP, EMS Memorial Site
Wednesday, May 18, 2006

Thank you, Commissioner Hogan.

Lieutenant Governor Donohue. Members of the Legislature. Mayor Jennings. Commissioner Hogan. Commissioner Novello. Vice Chairman Ehrhardt. Members of the Clergy.

Family, Friends, Loved Ones and Colleagues of our Fallen Heroes.

On behalf of the New York State Assembly, all 150 Members, let me convey our heartfelt sympathy to the families, friends, and colleagues of the Emergency Medical Technicians that we honor today.

Let me also express our profound gratitude to you for having shared these brave, skilled, and compassionate souls with us, and with the citizens of New York State.

As I contemplated my remarks for this Memorial, it occurred to me how consistently we assume that there will always be a professionally trained "rescuer" on hand to save us during moments of crisis.

Generation by generation, we take for granted that courage, sacrifice, and a sense of duty are in endless supply.

We take for granted that there will always be brave, gifted and extraordinary men and women ready and willing to answer the call when danger places our lives in jeopardy.

And because we labor under these delusions, we do not give our every-day heroes the full measure of our appreciation and gratitude which they so richly deserve.

By right, this entire plaza should be filled with New Yorkers mourning the loss of these valiant men and women, because the call to a life of duty is not answered by everyone;

Because the strength it takes to face fear and to persevere in saving life - even when those victims do not value their own lives - is not possessed by everyone;

Because the commitment to go forth and to bring comfort and healing in the rain, in the snow, in the cold, in the darkness, in the smoke, in the chaos, is so rare and so precious.

To lose such heroes is to lose the mortar that holds us together as communities and as a State.

Truly, the loss is immeasurable.

So I thank my colleague, Assemblyman Bob Sweeney, my colleagues in the Senate, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the EMS Council, and all who were involved in the establishment of this memorial.

It is important that this State remember Heidi, William Anthony and Brendan.

It is important that we remind ourselves that emergency medical services is a special calling.

It is important that we express our gratitude to those who answer that call.

May G-d bless the families of the heroes we honor today.

May G-d bless and keep safe all of our EMS staff and volunteers wherever they may serve.