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Originally established in 1974
National Volunteer Week has grown tremendously in scope each year.
This year we join thousands of officials from across the nation
in recognizing these people who serve their community.
National Volunteer Week 2011
is an opportunity for us to celebrate
the dedication of ordinary people
who accomplish extraordinary things
through their service to the community.
This is an occasion to honor the people
who dedicate themselves to taking action
and improving their communities.
It's also about inspiring, recognizing, and encouraging
people to seek out imaginative ways
to engage in their communities.
Today we are here to recognize
the volunteers from the
Second Alarmers Association of Philadelphia
who have served the Philadelphia Fire Department
the Philadelphia Police Department and
other public safety agencies for nearly 90 years.
They have been at every multiple alarm fire
in Philadelphia since the service began in 1921
with the continuing objective of providing
rest and rehab to first responders.
The City of Philadelphia is very grateful
to the Second Alarmers Association of Philadelphia
and on behalf of Mayor Nutter please accept
our sincerest gratitude for the role you play
in aiding our first responders.
You are commended for your efforts.
And now, I would like to introduce
Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers.
Good morning
Thank you, Deputy Managing Director O'Keefe.
Good morning.
Today during National Volunteer Week
we are here to honor the volunteers
that directly support Philadelphia's first responders.
The Second Alarmers Association of Philadelphia
respond to all fires of two or more alarms
this is where they derive their name from
the Second Alarmers.
They have even responded to single alarm fires
that have extended services.
They have provided aid for various disasters
as well as support to police and fire services
at large scale events.
These volunteers enable Philadelphia fire and
Emergency Medical Service personnel to not only
fight fires but also to save lives.
By providing our personnel with
food and drink during these multiple alarm incidents
they provide the energy to fight the fire.
The simple act of giving a firefighter
a cold drink can protect them from dehydration
on a fire scene and in winter
a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate
is always a warm welcome.
But they have been warm for over 90 years
a strong lineage of volunteer service providers
providing injury prevention, nourishment and
supplies for comfort, incident support
for critical communication sustainability
and we all know how important
those batteries are.
and night scene safety.
I have been witness for 37 years
that these men and women
have done a great job
under the leadership of
the strong leadership of
great chiefs, Joe Farley, George White and
now Greg Masi.
We stop and we look at
what they have done us as
a community, what they have done
for us as real home grown
Philadelphia based volunteers
like 1921. When you look at the pictures
when you enter their hall
you see how important it is
to carry that linage forward.
You stop and you look at the diversity
and the great service that they give
the great humanitarianism that they display
each and every event
We say thank you.
Recently, the Second Alarmers established
a new record for responses in
a 24 hour period.
From 3 a.m. February 19 to
2:30 a.m. February 20, these volunteers
responded to nine incidents
throughout the city. A new record.
On behalf of every member
of the Philadelphia Fire Department
I want to thank the Second Alarmers Association of Philadelphia
for their continued support
and for being such a fanastic
first responder partner. God bless you all.
I would like to introduce
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.
Thank you, Mr. O'Keefe.
I appreciate it very much.
Let me just join my good friend
and partner here, Lloyd Ayers in
saying congratulations.
When I was reading the talking points
that were sent to me around this event
the first thing that struck me
was the fact of 90 years of service
That is an incredibly long period of time
when you stop and think about it
90 years of getting out there
in the middle of winter or
other types of weather conditions
Its always one of those things
and we have all been around long enough
to know, no disaster happens on
a perfect weather day.
there's always some that's not quite right.
It's either going to be real hot
it's going to be real cold or raining or whatever.
But these are people that get out there
on a volunteer basis
just to see to it that firefighters or
police officers can get a cup
of coffee or something to eat when
they are out there on the scenes of one of these disasters.
So it is really something that
means an awful lot.
I've only been in Philadelphia three years
but my first experience with
the Second Alarmers really came
when we had that string of tragedies
in our department with the deaths of police officers.
And when the Second Alarmers showed up
at the site of the funerals and
various other places
just to provide some comfort
to all of us and to get something to drink
or something to eat. It just meant a awful lot.
Two members in-particular
George White and Joe Farley, Jr.
60 years, two-thirds of the time
that the Second Alarmers have been
in existence, they have been apart of it.
There is nothing you can really say
about that level of dedication
You just do not see that every single day.
But it speaks so highly of them as individuals
but also as an organization
and it's really an honor for me
to be with you here today.
And on behalf of the men and women of
the Philadelphia Police Department
I just want to thank you for
everything that you do because
it means so much to each and
every one of us. We don't take it for granted.
Thank you and God bless all of you.