USA: NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER JOE FINLAY, INJURED IN AFTERMATH OF GROUND ZERO TERROR ATTACKS RUNS FOR ELECTION TO CONGRESS
Record ID:
376133
USA: NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER JOE FINLAY, INJURED IN AFTERMATH OF GROUND ZERO TERROR ATTACKS RUNS FOR ELECTION TO CONGRESS
- Title: USA: NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER JOE FINLAY, INJURED IN AFTERMATH OF GROUND ZERO TERROR ATTACKS RUNS FOR ELECTION TO CONGRESS
- Date: 24th June 2002
- Summary: NORTHPORT, NEW YORK (JUNE 24, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS JOE FINLEY CAMPAIGNING, HANDING OUT LEAFLETS (4 SHOTS) 0.27 2. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINLEY SAYING: "America counted on firefighters and police to do their jobs on September 11th and we did. We need to do something now, people down in Washington have to do something about this right now, and we need to get this terrorism problem solved because we don't want something like this to happen again, that's my motivation, to make sure we do what we have to do in prevention and preparation." 0.55 NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 11, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 3. VARIOUS FIREFIGHTERS WALKING TOWARDS GROUND ZERO IN DUSTY STREETS (3 SHOTS) 1.05 4. WIDE /PAN DAMAGED FIRE TRUCK AND CARS IN RUBBLE 1.11 5. SLV FIREFIGHTERS WALKING IN RUBBLE 1.15 NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 13, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6. SLV FIRE TRUCK COMING OUT OF FINLEY'S FIREHOUSE 1.21 7. VARIOUS, BOY GIVING FLOWERS TO FIREFIGHTER COLLEAGUE OF FINLEY'S 1.29 8. VARIOUS ,NAMES ON CHALK BOARD SHOWING MISSING FIREMEN 1.36 9. SMV FINLEY BEING COMFORTED BY FIREFIGHTER COLLEAGUE 1.45 10. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINLEY SAYING: "It was a horrible thing, the only sound you could hear were church bells tolling" 1.58 NORTHPORT, NEW YORK (JUNE 24, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 11. VARIOUS, FINLEY GREETING MOTHER AND CHILDREN (2 SHOTS) 2.07 12. SCU WOMAN READING CAMPAIGN LEAFLET 2.10 13. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAUREN BRIGGS SAYING: "My whole perspective since 9/11 has changed with New York City policemen, New York City firemen, I feel that they can do anything after 9/11." 2.19 14. VARIOUS, FINLEY GREETING MAN ANNOUNCING HE'S RUNNING FOR CONGRESS, MAN EXPRESSES SURPRISE 2.31 15. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEWART FLEISHER SAYING: "The world is very complex now and I really would prefer my leaders to be highly educated, highly intelligent, sophisticated people who have a background in government ." 2.43 16. SLV FINLEY IN STREET TALKING WITH WOMAN 2.50 17. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINLEY SAYING: "I think we need to have more firefighters, and public servants from that area, to get involved in politics, because we've got enough career politicians and lawyers right now, we need some real people in Congress." 3.07 18. FINLEY CAMPAIGNING IN BAR 19. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) GERALD BECK SAYING: "That's what people are looking for, you know someone to look up to and I think he's a very positive role model for the people" 3.24 20. SMV FINLEY CAMPAIGNING, TALKING TO TWO WOMEN 3.29 21. VARIOUS, FINLEY HANDING LEAFLET TO LOCAL POLICEMEN 3.39 22. SMV FINLEY TELLING MAN HE IS REPUBLICAN, MAN SAYS "YOU'RE MY MAN"! 3.44 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th July 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NORTHPORT, NEW YORK / NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVAE5XP0TSNXHQF32SI406PY7RCG
- Story Text: A New York City firefighter, whose lungs were damaged
during recovery efforts at Ground Zero, is running for US
Congress. Joe Finley says it is time "regular" people entered
politics.
The corridors of power on Capitol Hill are a long way
off from the dust and dirt of Ground Zero, but Joe Finley, New
York City firefighter, wants to give it a shot.
Finley has been on light duty since his lungs became
badly injured during the grueling months of work at the World
Trade Centre site. Now he wants to leave the Fire Department
all together and roll up his sleeves as a politician instead
of a rescuer.
He's running for US Congressman in the Second Congressional
District of New York - a picturesque area of Long Island,
which includes his hometown of Northport. Finley is backed
by both the Republican and Conservative parties.
The 42-year-old believes it is time someone who experienced
first-hand the horrors of Ground Zero after the
September 11th attacks ran for office.
"America counted on firefighters and police to do their
jobs on September 11th and we did" he said. "We need to do
something now, people down in Washington have to do something
about this right now, and we need to get this terrorism
problem solved because we don't want something like this to
happen again, that's my motivation, to make sure we do what we
have to do in prevention and preparation".
In the past ten months, Finley has been on a rollercoaster
of emotions, coming to terms with the devastation of
September 11th and the loss of nine colleagues from his
firehouse. On September 13th, Reuters visited Finley's
midtown Manhattan Firehouse. Finley was clearly
shell-shocked by the massive loss of firefighters. Describing
what it was like, marching towards the smoldering towers,
Finley said "It was a horrible thing, the only sound you could
hear were church bells tolling".
In the wake of constant threats of a new terrorist
attack on America, security is Finley's primary platform. He
wants more money spent on the US army, greater preparedness
for a bioterror attack, and a missile defense shield. But it
will likely be his easy manner and, of course, hero status as
a New York City Firefighter, which will win over voters.
New York's firefighters, policemen and rescue workers
have been riding a nation-wide wave of hero-worship following
the September attacks. Whether or not that leads Finley to a
seat in Congress will be left to the American voters.
On the campaign trail in Northport, most villagers were
happy to support this firefighter-turned-politician.
"My whole perspective since 9/11 has changed with New
York City policemen, New York City firemen, I feel that they
can do anything after 9/11", said Lauren Briggs, a mother of
three.
Finley's family has a long history of public service, his
father and grandfather were both firefighters, but none of
this experience is in the field of politics, and that does
bother some people, who would rather vote for a candidate with
more experience.
"The world is very complex now and I really would prefer
my leaders to be highly educated, highly intelligent,
sophisticated people who have a background in government",
Stewart Fleisher argued.
Anticipating such criticism, Finley argues that it is
time for regular people to get into the political arena, as
the Founding Fathers envisaged. Finley says with the growing
"sleaze" factor associated with politicians, it is time to
inject new blood.
"I think we need to have more firefighters, and public
servants from that area, to get involved in politics, because
we've got enough career politicians and lawyers right now, we
need some real people in Congress", he said.
The election takes place in November, with Finley running
against a Democrat incumbent. Finley knows that battling
the flames of a fire is a whole different story to battling
political heat, but he believes he's ready to fight that
fight.
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