THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BOBBIE BATTISTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go to New York, where Mayor Giuliani is holding a press briefing. Let's listen in.
MAYOR RUDOLPH GIULIANI, NEW YORK CITY: ... while this is a very difficult day and a very emotional one and only the beginning of what we're going to have to go through, I believe that I emerged from it as the fire commissioner does and I'm sure the speaker -- and Congressman King, thank you so much for being with us, like you were yesterday and the day before.
I think we've all emerged with a lot more strength. I think we realize that we have the strength to deal with this, to overcome it, that our fire department will emerge from this stronger, and so will our city. And I think people should be mournful and sorrowful, but they should also be very encouraged that we have tremendous courage in New York, we have tremendous courage in America and the courage will be there in our generation as it was in prior generations.
This is a horrible, horrible tragedy. These were wonderful men. They were the leadership of our fire department, and I would -- I'd like the fire commissioner to say a few words. He's a great fire commissioner. He's done more for the fire department than anyone that I can think of. We've had fewer fire deaths in New York City than ever before. Men and women are safer than they've ever been because of his leadership.
And one of -- one of the things we're blessed with is having him as our fire commissioner right now.
THOMAS VON ESSEN, FIRE COMMISSIONER: Thank you. (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Oh, I'm sorry.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) as the families and the friends (OFF-MIKE).
VON ESSEN: One of the -- one of the good things about being a commissioner who comes from the department is that you really know how the department works, from bottom to top. One of the horrible things about being from the department is that you know all the people so well.
I mean, I keep looking at the list of people are that missing. And they're missing, and we're working to rescue them. I keep looking at that list, and I see not just friends that I have, but friends that have sons. I look at a list where a retired captain was one of the most phenomenal captains we've ever had, John Vijiano (ph), who is missing his son, was on the fire department of his son, who was an ESU as a police officer.
That is typical of that list that we're working from. It is just horrible. I have never had anything like this to deal with, and I -- I'm sure I never will again. That is difficult, but it -- we'll get through it because of the people that are out there -- the sons and the fathers of these wonderful guys.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE).
VON ESSEN: It's -- I just don't know how to explain. I -- like I said, these are just employees of a commissioner who arrived from IBM to try to manage a department. These -- this is a voice of a commissioner who loves these guys at every level and who works with them -- has worked with all of them at every level -- from the union's perspective, fighting with them in the union and now fighting with them in management. It seems like I've been fighting with these guys for 15 years and I love them. I absolutely love them.
These people, the three today -- the fact that we couldn't go to Father Judge's funeral has got the mayor and I all twisted, but we couldn't -- fortunately, there was a press service for him last night, and we were able to pay our respects to him and to all the other Franciscan friars that have been so wonderful to our department.
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