Speech Delivered by Santa Monica Fire Chief Ettore Berardinelli

“I’d personally like to thank all of you for remembering Sept 11 and I want to talk a little bit about what it means to a fire fighter.

“That day created a moment in time for all of us, a moment in time that you’ll always remember exactly where you were when that terrible tragedy occurred. For some of us it joins some other moments in time when bad things happened.

“The Rabbi talked about this memory being right in the front of your head and I understand that, and I think for most of you here tonight because you are here tonight, that memory has also burned a hole in your heart.

“I know how that feels because as fire chief I have had to go to a young mother and her three children and tell them that their father was never coming home. They had to do that so many times in New York, the people on those airplanes, so much tragedy.

“But I heard a wonderful speech today by a young man in Santa Monica College, and he put it in perspective for me, and I want to share that perspective with you.

“He said that there were 19 people who were so driven by hate that they got in these airplanes and did this terrible thing. And in the wake of that terrible thing, there were 343 firefighters over 70 police officers and countless people that just came to help that overwhelmed the hate with love, and that really helped me.

“This is a great country. We’re a great people. Compassion is such a big part of our country, and I think not six weeks ago we saw that same compassion here in the Farmers Market incident.

“It’s just hard sometimes because firefighters are pretty universal all over the world. We’re all drawn to this career because we want to help, so when an event like this happens elsewhere, it’s like losing one of our own.

“So I want to thank you tonight for remembering all of the people that died but especially for remembering the 343 firefighters, for remembering their courage, for remembering their noble lives, for remembering how they served their families, their country and their community.