Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Pays Tribute to New York's Fallen Firefighters

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul acknowledged and honored the 24 firefighters have been added to the New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial during an event at the Empire State Plaza to honor the memory and heroism of the brave New Yorkers who lost their lives while performing their duties in fire service.

VIDEO of the Governor's remarks is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.

AUDIO of today's remarks is available here.

PHOTOS will be available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Thank you, Commissioner Murphy, for your service and the way you've kept the spirit of this Memorial alive for many years. It's hard, it's hard to come here, but I also want to thank the many people who work behind the scenes tirelessly so your loved ones have an appropriate Memorial to visit and to have an opportunity to just reflect and to share the stories of the good times as well.

I also want to thank many individuals who have joined us today. Senator John Brooks, Senator Neil Breslin, Assemblymember Ken Zebrowski, Assemblymember Pat Fahy, Mayor of Albany, Kathy Sheehan, and many other individuals. James Cable, our acting state fire commissioner and others. Francis Nerney, our former state commissioner for many, many years. Sam Fresina, New York State Professional Firefighters and John Farrell, president of the Firemen's Association.

These are names of people who go above and beyond, and I want to thank them for all their service, as well as to the individuals who are wearing uniforms today. As you heard from the commissioner, our appreciation will know no bounds for what you continue to do every single day. But today I'm here to speak to the families. As much as I love welcoming you to your State Capitol, these are not the circumstances that any of us would desire to be here. Yet you come, you woke up this morning, knowing that this tribute to your loved one was going on, and the easier position would be to just stay in bed and say, I can't go through this anymore, I'm hurting too much, I've been through too much, I miss someone too much. But you got dressed, you came here and you've showed the ultimate in love. You are here. No matter how hard it hurts you, you are here to show the person who's now looking at you saying you matter. And whether it's a mother or father who lost a son or daughter, you need to know that every parent has children who could answer the call to serve in an extraordinary way, in a dangerous way.

But your child is the one who said I will. Perhaps it was the inspiration from a grandpa that did it or a dad many times, and next generation, mothers. Or just on their own, they just had this sense of responsibility beyond their own lives to others to serve. That tells me, to the parents, you created an environment that was so incredibly impactful that they decided to dedicate their lives as a career or as a volunteer firefighter who have other lives to deal with. Yet, when that bell rang, they're willing to run into danger.

And those of you who've married someone that we're honoring today, clearly you saw something in them when you were dating, you knew that they had this sense that others mattered, they're selfless, they're caring, they're giving, and that led them to this family as well. And you knew the risks, but you still stood by them. And despite the countless disrupted dinners, the softball games of a daughter that were missed, the grandson's football practice and all the things they want to cherish and be part of, they sometimes had to leave your table, your home, your celebration, because they were taking care of someone else. So you have sacrificed on this journey, but this is also a profound statement about you and your values as well. And to all of you, I extend the heartfelt gratitude from 20 million New Yorkers who are aware of what you do every single day, and the families of those who continue to serve. We know what's going on. We know how hard this is, and yet you do it.

That is the ultimate public service, and as you heard from the commissioner and speakers before me, the clergy who reminds us that the presence of God is with us. Whatever the motivation was, family influence, something they saw on television, something they knew from growing up, or even 20 years ago last month, when so many people were seared to the television cameras, just glued to it, watching unheralded, unexpected, unbelievable heroism, when people went into burning buildings without a care in the world for themselves, but caring about others. And someone you cared about deeply was either part of that, we lost them, whether on that day or whether it was years later when they succumbed to an illness because they would not leave until every person was found, or the next generation who saw that and were so inspired they said, I want to do the same.

My friends, that is why New York is such an incredible state. We have people like your loved one who were willing to step up in a way that we just could not have foreseen. Whether it's running into burning buildings, taking care of people in flooded situations, rescuing them. We had 20 firefighters come back last night to the Albany airport who decided they were going to go into the most helaciousplace in our country right now, which is the fires burning out of control in California, and they still showed up. I don't know how you can describe to the rest of us mere mortals, how people are willing to do that. It is so powerful, and so humbling to me, to lead a state that is filled with people like the person that you're coming here to honor today.

I can't wipe away your pain. They say that grief is the price we pay for love. Clearly you loved someone so deeply, and that's why it hurts so much. But know going forward, whether you come to the wall that is beautiful, so sculpted with such love, to reflect your love, or whether you're just going back to the fire hall, because I know, having been to countless installation dinners, the comradery among this family is so tight, and it's not just about the beers and the football games and the chicken barbecues. I've been to all of them.

It is this sense of duty, the sense of responsibility, the sense of service, that really sets everyone in the firefighter community apart. And simply, I'm here to say, thank you. You have my gratitude, you have our love, and you have the respect of millions of New Yorkers. You continue to protect every single day, those of you in uniform. And we grieve with you, those who lost a loved one. Thank you.