New York’s Finest

Ashley Frangella
Professor Penaz
Draft for Essay #3
April 21, 2009

            On September 11, 2001, 343 members of the FDNY and 23 members of the NYPD died. Each and every one of them died on the job while protecting the people in their New York City.  These dedicated citizens, employed by the fire and police departments, have such a strong moral and work ethic that they risk their lives every day.  Although I was in 6^th grade, I will remember that day forever, because it hit so close to home, literally. I could see the smoke pouring out of the Twin Towers in the distance from my classroom window. Many of my former classmates had family members who worked in those buildings and a few who even died there. Despite the aftermath of hurt and devastation from that day, New York shined throughout, evident through the efforts of many heroes. The FDNY, NYPD, rescue workers, and volunteers banned together that day to save many lives. Those people work under grueling conditions day in and day out, and that day exemplified to the entire world just how devoted, trained and courageous they were to their jobs.

Firefighters and police officers have a moral obligation to save civilians in distress as part of their jobs. As men and women ran out of the burning buildings seeking safety on September 11, members of the fire department and police department ran back into those burning buildings intent on saving as many people as possible. They were police and firemen first, forgetting their own loved ones, who may have been at home wondering if they were safe, and try to save the hundreds of people trapped in those two buildings. The men and women of the fire and police department were selfless, and did not think of themselves once while running into the enflamed towers. They were not thinking of their spouses or perhaps children that would be left behind if their lives were lost, but of the innocent victims stuck in the crumbling buildings. The brave men and women that day were compelled by their job, and their responsibility to assist and save lives. It was their duty not only to help on that day, but each and every day continuously, 365 days a year.
            In regards to the service of those men and women on September 11, in November 2001, the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin stated:
            The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin proudly recognizes the heroic actions of the many men and women in the public safety sector who unflinchingly carried out their duties in the face of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Many of these individuals gave their lives to rescue those caught in the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. These courageous and valiant firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency service personnel, and other public safety employees persevered amidst an inconceivable landscape of death and devastation to act in the highest tradition of public service. [1]
            Many articles, like this one, have thanked the FDNY, NYPD, and many other federal institutions for their extraordinary service that day. Many of these honorable personnel see helping others, not only as a moral obligation, but also as their civic duty. They are members of the community, and help other inhabitants not because it’s their job, but because they believe it is a necessity for the community. Firefighters help put out our fires that ignite abruptly, while police officers solve the crimes and protect us from the criminals that perpetrate our city each day.

            The crime rate of New York has dropped tremendously, due to the efforts of the New York City Police Department. According to the Law Enforcement Agency Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime has gone from 98,022 in 2001 to 79,915 in 2007. These numbers showed that New York City has a lower rate of major crimes than all of the country’s 25 largest cities. The FBI ranked New York as safer than 227 other cities on a list of the country’s 241 cities with a population of 100,000 or more. [2]

            The decline of the crime rate alone shows the dedication of police officers when performing their jobs effectively. Each day, New York is kept safe because of the NYPD. The department has not taken a day off, and has kept our streets safe on a 24/7, minute to minute, hour to hour, watch. Police officers are sworn enforcers of the law. They are devoted to catching criminals, investigating crime and preserving the peace. It is their responsibilities to uphold the law and come to the aid of those in need. Police officers serve a vital function in society; they preserve law and order so everyone in the society can live in peace. Without police officers, criminals would prey on victims without fear of consequences.[3] New York City police officers are called to duty whenever a problem arises, and relied on to protect the public when in need. It could be a bank robbery, a violent situation that a civilian is placed in, or the unfortunate event of a homicide; police officers are always the first called. It takes a lot of effort to keep the peace in a city, and the NYPD do this undauntingly.

            In order, to have a strong work ethic you need to be committed, respectful, prepared, professional, and proficient. On a day to day basis, you find our law enforcement and firefighters displaying these qualities. For example, my father called Con Edison one day, because our carbon monoxide alarm went off. The Con Ed representative told my dad someone would be at the house within 20 minutes, because when you have the carbon monoxide alarm sound, it could be a serious situation. No more than five minutes had passed before the fire department arrived at my house. The men were all geared up and ready to do what they could to help my family. Although there was a minor gas leak, fortunately, it was not as serious as it could have been. But, those firefighters were prepared and equipped to help my family. And thankfully, a serious situation was averted.

On April 21^st, the FDNY rescued four victims trapped in an attic during a fire in Queens. The blaze broke out at the 144th St. home in South Jamaica just after 1 a.m. and was so destructive that when firefighters arrived, just three minutes later, the building was already engulfed in flames. “There was zero visibility up there,” said Sodano, who has been with the FDNY for eight years. “Once we found the first guy, we started giving him air right away,” said Sodano. “But then it came over the radio that more people were trapped up there.” Handing off the victim to another firefighter, Sodano ran back into the burning attic, knowing that time was running out for the men still inside. [4]

Anthony Sodano showed commitment and dedication to his job in this Queens fire. Although, the fire was getting progressively worse, Anthony went back inside to save the trapped victims. Many firefighters do exactly like Anthony, and remain loyal to their job.

On October 30, 2008, Commissioner Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly today honored 57 members and auxiliary members of the New York City Police Department whose actions helped save more than two dozen lives over the last four years and exemplify the use of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automatic External Defibrillators, or AEDs. The ceremony was the first of its’ kind to recognize the use of CPR, Automatic External Defibrillators in Life Saving Action by officers. [5] Marc Francois attended the NYPD First Responder Awards Ceremony to honor the detectives and police officer who revived him from a seizure while attending the New York Giants Parade of Champions in February.

Police officers and fire fighters alike take their job seriously and professionally. They are always ready for any situation that they may be put in, including saving a bystander’s life in the middle of a parade. The job of a police officer is very unpredictable, and as a result proficiency is a necessity that saves lives.

In conclusion, police officers and firefighters have a very tough day each day and every day. Through a strong moral and work ethic, they perform their job successfully. September 11, 2001 forced me to realize just how tough their jobs are, and how well they perform them. And for this I and millions of New Yorkers are thankful.

May 4, 2009