00:00Good afternoon everyone and welcome to City Hall. I want to acknowledge leaders throughout our administration that are standing here
00:08alongside me. We have our FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignor, we have our FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito, we have
00:16our NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tish, our NISOM Commissioner Christina Farrell, our NISOM First Deputy Commissioner Ben Krakauer, our OTI Commissioner
00:25Lisa Galopter, our DCAS Commissioner Yume Kittase.
00:29We have our Budget Director Sharif Suleiman, we have our NYC Chief Service Officer Laura Raag and our Chief Counsel
00:35Ramzi Kassim.
00:37One week from today, New York City will come together to remember the horrific act of terror that occurred in
00:45our city 25 years ago, the thousands that were stolen from us that day and in the years since, and
00:51the uncommon courage that countless New Yorkers showed in the aftermath.
00:55Over the past weeks, I've had the immense honor of meeting with construction workers who spent months clearing rubble and
01:03removing steel, teachers at schools like Stuyvesant near Ground Zero, whose students continue to contend with 9-11 related medical
01:12issues, and city workers who made enormous unseen contributions.
01:17And I have visited firehouses where the names of those fallen still line the walls, where the sons entered a
01:24life of public service to pay homage to fathers who were killed on that day, and where eternal flames are
01:30never allowed to go out.
01:3325 years may have passed, but for the families who still grieve someone who never came home, or who got
01:39sick from the toxic air in the years after, the grief remains fresh, the absence remains inescapable, the pain endures.
01:4825 years after, every New Yorker knows the words never forget, and the meaning they carry.
01:54It is an obligation to remember those we lost, to live lives that aspire to their selflessness and compassion, and
02:01to build a city that they would be proud of.
02:03I am proud to be here today as we deepen that commitment by signing two executive orders that honor the
02:09sacrifice and the heroism of so many that day.
02:12The first executive order establishes an annual day of remembrance and service on September 11th, this year, and every year
02:20that follows.
02:22On September 11th, 2001, we saw ordinary New Yorkers display an extraordinary level of courage.
02:29But most of all, we saw strangers who took the clothes off their back and gave them to New Yorkers
02:35who were injured and covered in dust.
02:37People who cooked meals or bought supplies and carried them down to the pile, just trying to help in any
02:42way that they could.
02:43We saw the lines of to donate blood that went around the block.
02:47The people who lent their services, their tools, their time, their sweat, and never sent a bill.
02:52If 9-11 was the darkest day in our city's history, then the few glimpses of light came from New
02:57Yorkers doing everything they could to help.
03:00We will mark this day with the same service towards one another.
03:03While there are official observations at the federal and state levels, there is no similar designation here in New York
03:10City.
03:10That changes today.
03:12This executive order will coordinate an annual citywide day of service and remembrance to honor the victims, first responders, survivors,
03:20city workers, and the families impacted by this tragedy.
03:23And it will encourage city agencies to observe the day with moments of silence, memorial ceremonies, and other displays of
03:31remembrance.
03:31I am also proud to be signing a second executive order, updating our city's operational continuity and agency preparedness policies.
03:40September 11th was a day without any precedent.
03:44A day that demanded city agencies and first responders devise solutions to impossible challenges in the moment.
03:50And while our city has taken great steps to increase security measures and prevent any future terror threats, we know
03:57that as the greatest city in the world, we will always remain at target.
04:01The original continuity of operation policies are nearly 20 years old and in long need of an update.
04:07This executive order will establish a new task force to coordinate decision-making across agencies and provide modern expertise and
04:15oversight.
04:15It will also modernize the city's existing continuity framework to ensure we are prepared to respond to the threats that
04:23our city faces today.
04:24This is a core plan, a core part of our plan to protect and prepare for risks to come.
04:29And it will be led by the deputy mayor for operations and supported by the commissioners of NISOM, DCAS, and
04:35OTI.
04:36If these two executive orders hold a shared message, let it be this.
04:40When we say never forget, we do not mean it in the abstract.
04:45It is a sacred vow to those we will always mourn.
04:49The heroes who ran towards horror so that others could run towards home.
04:54And to every New Yorker who showed such immeasurable solidarity and courage 25 years ago.
05:00And with that, I will now bring up our FDNY commissioner, Lillian Bonsignor.
05:06Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
05:10Good afternoon.
05:13September 11th remains a difficult shared experience burned into the heart of New York City.
05:19But in our darkest hours 25 years ago, everyday New Yorkers came together,
05:26standing shoulder to shoulder in an extraordinary spirit of unity as one city of service.
05:33For the FDNY, September 11th is a day that simply never ended.
05:37We remember the 343 members of our department killed that day.
05:43And more than 600 additional members of the FDNY who have died since from 9-11 related illnesses.
05:51We remember all the brave first responders from other agencies who made the ultimate sacrifice.
05:57And we remember all the incredible families who have lived with this unimaginable courage ever since.
06:0525 years later, it remains a time for solemn remembrance, but it must also be a call to action.
06:13Entire generations are growing up without a living memory of that sacrifice.
06:18And we must teach them through our history and our actions.
06:22Thank you for initiating this effort, Mr. Mayor.
06:26By declaring this official day of remembrance, we take a huge step forward as a city.
06:31As we journey forward in time, we must continue our collective efforts to fully cement September 11th in our history
06:39and across our city.
06:41I ask every New Yorker to join us.
06:44Join us in this day of service.
06:46Donate your time.
06:48Help a neighbor.
06:49Tell a story of someone brave.
06:51Or take a quiet moment to reflect.
06:54Whatever you can do to bring back that spirit of community and connectedness,
06:59we felt 25 years ago.
07:02Please do it.
07:03As we promised so long ago, we will never, never forget.
07:09Thank you for this day, sir.
07:11Please welcome our NYPD Commissioner, Jessica Tisch.
07:18Good afternoon.
07:20Next week, New York City will mark 25 years since September 11th, 2001.
07:25For the NYPD, that history is deeply personal.
07:30September 11th was an act of terrorism that changed this city forever.
07:3423 members of this department were killed at the World Trade Center that morning.
07:39Many more spent days, weeks, months working at Ground Zero.
07:44And in the years since, we have continued to lose members to illnesses connected to that work.
07:50Those losses are still felt across the department and by the families who have lived with them for the past
07:56quarter century.
07:58Some sent a loved one to work on September 11th and never got to welcome them home.
08:03Others watched someone they loved return to Ground Zero again and again,
08:08and later faced the consequences of that service.
08:11On September 11th, police officers and firefighters moved toward the World Trade Center
08:17while thousands of people were trying desperately to escape.
08:21They entered burning buildings and helped strangers reach safety.
08:24They put the lives of people they had never met ahead of their own.
08:29The courage of the members that we lost that morning is part of the inheritance of every person who serves
08:35in the NYPD,
08:36and as more time passes, preserving that inheritance becomes increasingly important.
08:42There are now thousands of NYPD members who were children on September 11th or who were not yet born.
08:48They know that day, the stories they have been told, the photographs they have seen,
08:53and the names that they pass on our memorial walls.
08:56For those of us who remember September 11th firsthand, that creates an enormous responsibility.
09:02That's why it is so important to ensure that remembrance remains a permanent part of the life of this city.
09:10We have to make sure the next generation understands what happened to this city,
09:14what was asked of the people who responded, and the example that they left behind.
09:19That example still shapes the NYPD and generations of officers who have followed them.
09:26Twenty-five years is a long time, but the passage of time only makes the work of remembrance more important
09:32because fewer New Yorkers will have their own memories of that morning.
09:36The scale and devastation of the loss that day was unfathomable,
09:40and so too was the heroism and the valor that we witnessed in response.
09:45In the face of unimaginable tragedy, New York City police officers and firefighters showed the very best of humanity.
09:55Twenty-five years later, it is our responsibility to make sure that example is never forgotten.
10:00For the NYPD, it never will be. We will never forget.
10:04Now, I would like to introduce New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell.
10:17Good afternoon.
10:19As we honor the 25th anniversary of 9-11 and remember the friends, co-workers, and family members who lost
10:26their lives,
10:27our hearts remain heavy with their memories, but also filled with our love for them.
10:32New York City was shaken, but not broken, when the unthinkable happened.
10:36Today's executive order to designate 9-11 as a day of remembrance and service
10:41is a reminder of how we can all come together during a crisis.
10:45We all have personal stories attached to that day,
10:48and a day of service will ensure that the next generations understand the power of community
10:53and that it takes us all to build a resilient city.
10:57And our ability to be resilient is also why we're here today.
11:02As has been mentioned almost 20 years ago,
11:04Executive Order 107 launched the City's Continuity of Operations Program
11:09to ensure that when emergencies happen,
11:12New Yorkers can count on the essential services that keep our city running and safe.
11:17Just like New York City and the world have changed dramatically over the last two decades,
11:22so have the threats facing the city and the way that agencies work to keep essential services running.
11:28To aid in that effort, we're updating a vital program to match today's changing risk environment.
11:33In the past 25 years, we have experienced small and large disasters,
11:39from devastating weather events, power outages, building explosions, hurricanes, and a pandemic.
11:45New York City maintains and exercises more than 60 major continuity plans each year
11:51to keep essential services running during these emergencies.
11:55More than 140 continuity planners across city agencies work proactively
12:00to protect critical technology, facilities, and operations.
12:04Emergency management provides 24-7 continuity support for agencies during incidents
12:10to keep important services running.
12:13In 2026, New York City Emergency Management has already supported 20 real-world continuity incidents,
12:20including two major snowstorms, building fires, and technology failures,
12:25ensuring essential services remain available despite disruptions.
12:30Through it all, with the help of our partner agencies like OMB, DCAS, OTI, and City Hall,
12:37Emergency Management continues to work with all agencies
12:40to ensure that our essential services are available before, during, and after emergencies.
12:46Also, September is national prepared this month,
12:49and I would be remiss not to remind all New Yorkers to prepare and update your emergency plan,
12:55just as the mayor is updating this continuity order.
12:59Again, thank you, Mr. Mayor, for signing these executive orders.
13:32Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
