Ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor and a privilege to join with you on this most important, solemn and uh celebratory day.

It's solemn because there is perspective that was just given by our remarkable and amazing chief of the fire department whose visionary leadership ensures that this department is always supported, not just with equipment and with the resources necessary, but with the manpower, with individuals that will be there to join companies and save lives.

No, it has been said that hard times do not create heroes, they reveal it.

In our city, we have faced many challenges with fires throughout the years.

We have seen a necessity to have remarkable individuals in uniforms who have taken sacred oaths, go towards those fires, as the chief stated, while others are running away from it.

It is important to understand that sometimes in these circumstances, when individuals who have been trained or been prepared, who have everything that they're supposed to have, respond, and yet still there is loss.

They must be undaunted.

Must have commitment.

They must be compelled by something that goes beyond themselves to continue forward, to give all that they have.

And that's what our firefighters do every single day.

I have uh heard the phrase that you are to fight fire with fire, and the sake we fight fire with honor, with sacrifice, with commitment.

We fight fire with the most noble of individuals in our communities.

Individuals who choose to commit themselves to service, the service of others.

To the four new additions to our firefighters immediately behind you.

You're supported by your family.

To your right, you see the hopes of your new family.

Brothers and sisters in uniform who will join you and respond to those emergency calls.

A little further behind you, I believe, from Hoboken, Jersey City and Nutley.

Anyone else?

Those you see individuals that came up in class with you, showing support.

I share this with you to give you perspective, to know that every time you put on that uniform, you're a part of a greater family.

That as you leave your homes and you walk away from those who are with you every day, who pray for you, who love you, who expect and they wait for you to come back home, to go serve and spend 24 hour shifts and sometimes longer with those new family members.

That you are part of something greater.

You are part of a family statewide and nationwide.

You continue a remarkable tradition of those who would express the very best of the values and principles of the greatest nation in the world.

You carry that in your heart, and we can see it when you have a uniform on.

But when you take them off, you do not lose that honor.

It is something that you carry every single day.

I shared about heroes because I see children here, and I'm fond of sharing with them that our firefighters, our emergency responders are true heroes.

You know, every year, at least last 10 or 15, there's a new hero movie that comes out.

You marvel or DC, I don't know which one is your favorite.

And it had dawned on me once when we were in one of these ceremonies that in those movies, directors get to say cut.

In the midst of the action, if something goes wrong, you take the film in back rooms and they get to edit it.

And it comes out great.

In real life, there's no cut.

There's no edit.

It's just the moment before you.

And that is why I'm always in such awe, so inspired by those who serve.

Because every day, every second, you must be ready.

You must be ready to be a hero.

You don't become a hero as I stated in the beginning when you get the call.

The moment allows you the opportunity to express what's already inside of you, what's been instilled by your parents, what has been shaped and formed by the experiences that you have faced throughout your life, and what you have trained for in your classes, and what you have heard from your instructors, what you will gain through experience and knowledge and mentorship by those who have served for many years.

As your mayor, I say thank you.

Thank you for becoming part of our family.

To your immediate family, you will most likely see them on one of my Facebook lives.

I want to prepare you for that.

I'm fond of doing this.

Some have questioned why.

So allow me to answer briefly.

It's because I'm so very proud of the individuals who serve this city.

Because it is sometimes that the news will cover them.

It's a major incident, but it's every day that they're serving.

Whether they're responding to an alarm, whether they're helping a senior citizen in distress, whether they're responding to a weather emergency or a fire, they're always out there.

So it's my opportunity to tell people look.

When arguments are being made about funding and resources, it's my way of telling politicians on every level of government, whether county or state or federal, send the grants, send the money.

Because while you're debating over numbers, these individuals in uniforms are saving lives.

And also I'm so very thankful to God that I get to do it.

It's my way of telling you while you're watching at home, they're okay.

And we are with them, and lives are saved, and things are okay in our city because of that.

Today I'm so very proud that you guys join our family.

I'm so very grateful to your commitment.

I join with the chief, with uh our deputy chief Mounir, with all of our battalion chiefs and our leaders to say congratulations on completing your graduating, and our work lies before you.

And as we swear you in and your families applaud, keep that in mind today.

Hold that deep in your heart, carry it with you, and know that I will always have your back, no matter what.

And so will your brothers and sisters and family here in government.

I want to thank you all.

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas, happy holidays to those who celebrate other holidays, and God bless you, God bless the city of Persake, and God bless these great United States of America.