Positivity: FDNY and NYPD Remember, and Help

They feel they’re just returning a favor. Sure, but by remembering, they’re teaching us all a lesson about gratitude (bolds mine):

The city is sending more help to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, as 300 firefighters boarded planes at JFK Airport Monday morning and 105 police officers loaded up vans headed to New Orleans to help with the relief efforts.

Fire Commissioner Nicolas Scoppetta say the Federal Emergency Management Agency asked for the extra manpower. Besides fighting fires, they will also search for survivors.

Those heading out today say they are more than happy to go.

“We’ve trained to assist in a disaster. We’re going to go to New Orleans and pay back some of the help that we got from the south at the World Trade Center,” said FDNY Deputy Chief Bob Maynes.

“Many of them have special operations training. We expect that they will be down there for approximately two weeks, and we’re very glad for the opportunity to provide this assistance to the city of New Orleans and all of their beleaguered citizens,” said FDNY Chief of Department Peter Hayden.

Some 105 additional NYPD officers are also heading down to New Orleans to help. They mobilized at police headquarters this morning, where they received tetanus shots and instructions.

The officers are driving down in a convoy of 50 police vans. Once there they will help to restore order.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says they will be there for at least eight days, and possibly longer.

“It seems chaotic, but our officers are trained and we’re going to be operating as an entity. We’re going to be together as an NYPD force,” said Kelly.

“I see these people calling for help, pleading for help, and it breaks your heart,” said Officer Miguel Seda. “We’re the largest police department in the world, so we have to send our troops down there to help them.”