[Presentation of the Colors – Austin Police Department Honor Guard and Pipe & Drum Corps Bruce Mills, Assistant City Manager Pledge of Allegiance Retire of the Colors Introduction of Interim City Manager, Jesus Garza Opening Remarks by Interim City Manager, Jesus Garza Celebrates the lives of: Firefighter, Rodney Kelley Fire Battalion Chief, Travis Maher Police Officer, Eric Lindsey Police Officer, Lewis “Andy” Traylor Senior Police Sergeant, Steve Urias Introductions Austin Fire Department, Chief Joel Baker and Austin Police Department, Chief of Staff Robin Henderson Closing Remarks]
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PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE P OF ALLEGIANCE.
HI, YOUR HONOR, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, FLAG MATTER ACCUSED OF EQUIVALENT LIBERTY JUSTICE.
NOW TO INTRODUCE OUR INTERIM CITY MANAGER, ACES GARZA.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR BEING WITH US HERE TODAY AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF FIREFIGHTER RODNEY KELLY, BATTALION CHIEF TRAVIS, TRAVIS MAYER, POLICE OFFICER ERIC LINDSEY, POLICE OFFICER LEWIS, ANDY TRAY AND POLICE SERGEANT STEVE URI AND RECOGNIZES THE SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKENZIE KELLY, COUNCIL MEMBER PAIGE ELLIS, COUNCIL MEMBER LESLIE POOLE, COUNCIL MEMBER ALLISON ALTER AND RYAN ALTER FOR JOINING US TODAY.
YOUR FAMILY FAMILIES HAVE LOST A VALUED MEMBER.
THE MEMORY AND DEDICATION AND SERVICE OF THESE EMPLOYEES EMBODIED EVERY DAY HAS NOT FADED TODAY.
WE ARE INDUCTING THEM INTO THE CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEE MEMORIAL AS EMPLOYEES WHO LOST THEIR LIVES TO THE SERVICE OF THE CITY, THE STATE AND COUNTRY.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEE SERVICE MEMORIAL WAS ESTABLISHED IN MAY, 2011 TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO LOSE THEIR LIVES WHILE SERVING WITH DEDICATION AND THEIR CAPACITY AS CITY EMPLOYEES.
A PLAQUE IN THEIR HONOR WILL BE PRESENTED TO THEIR FAMILIES IN APPRECIATION AND REMEMBRANCE OF THE, UH, REMEMBRANCE AND DEDICATED SERVICE THAT THEY PROVIDED THE CITY.
I WISH TO EXTEND CONDOLENCES TO EACH OF YOU AND TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE SACRIFICES THAT YOUR FAMILIES HAVE MADE, WHICH HAVE ALLOWED YOUR LOVED ONES TO SERVE THE CITY IN SUCH FINE AND DISTINGUISHED MANNER.
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I WOULD NOW LIKE TO ASK CHIEF BAKER AUSTIN FIRE CHIEF AND FOLLOWED BY THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF ROBIN HENDERSON OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, CHIEF BAKER, YOU JOIN US, THANK YOU TO THE CITY MANAGER, JESUS GAZER AND OUR HONORABLE MAYOR, MAYOR KIRK WATSON IN HIS ABSENCE, MAYOR PRO TE PAIGE AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE FRIEND AND THE FAMILY OF OUR BELOVED FIREFIGHTER.I BRING YOU GREETINGS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE HEROIC MEN AND WOMEN OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT SIMPLY BY SAYING GOOD MORNING.
I AM DEF CHIEF FOR THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHERE I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS THE FIRE CHIEF.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE ALL HERE TOGETHER THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE, REC WE HAVE IN OUR, FROM OUR VALUABLE MEMBERS IN THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
BUT IN SORROW THERE ARE ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO REMEMBER.
SO I'M HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU ABOUT TWO AMAZING FIREFIGHTERS.
THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS LOST IN SERVICE TO THIS WONDERFUL COMMUNITY.
IN 2021, FIREFIGHTER RODNEY ROD KELLY CONTRACTED C OVID 19 WHILE ON DUTY AND PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST THE 29TH.
THAT SAME YEAR AT A YOUNG AGE OF 56, THOSE WHO KNEW ROD DESCRIBED HIM AS BEING A HARD WORKER AND ONE OF THE MOST GENEROUS PEOPLE.
THEY KNEW HE WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR SOMEONE THAT WAS IN NEED.
ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT IS HIS PROUD SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY FOR 20 YEARS.
HE LOVED HIS JOB AND THE PEOPLE HE WORKED WITH, AND THEY FELT THE SAME LOVE FOR HIM.
ROD DEATH WAS A HUGE LOSS FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A VOID WAS LEFT WHEN HE LEFT US BATTALION CHIEF TRAVIS MOORE, ANOTHER TREASURE MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, DIED SHORTLY AFTER CHRISTMAS LAST YEAR ON DECEMBER 28TH AFTER A VALID BATTER BATTER WITH CANCER.
A 23 YEAR VETERAN OF OUR DEPARTMENT AND JUST 49 YEARS OF AGE.
TRAVIS WAS TRULY LIVED TO SERVE OTHERS AMONG MANY THINGS.
HE WAS A LONG STANDING MEMBER OF THE TEXAS A M A AND M TASK FORCE ONE AND WAS DEPLOYED TO SEVERAL OF OUR NATION'S MOST SIGNIFICANT DISASTERS.
TRAVIS WAS ONE OF 10 MEMBERS FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO WERE SENT TO GROUND ZERO IMMEDIATELY FALLING INTO THE TRAGEDY, SPENDING 10 DAYS IN THE RUINS AND THE RUBBER IN THE THREE PART VIDEO SERIES THAT WAS CREATED AND AND DEBUTED IN 2021 TO MARK THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THAT AWFUL DAY, TRAVIS TALKED ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE AND HIS MEMORIES OF BEING A YOUNG FIREFIGHTER IN THE MIDST OF THAT AND SUDDENLY REALIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS JOB AND THAT HE COULD LOSE HIS LIFE DOING HIS JOB.
AND ROD, ALONG WITH SO MANY OTHERS LIKE THEM KEPT GOING UNTIL THEIR LAST ALARM.
BUT ROD AND TRAVIS WERE AMAZING FIREFIGHTER, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY WERE AMAZING PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE DEEPLY MISSED BY OUR DEPARTMENT AND BY THIS WONDERFUL CITY AS WELL AS THE NUMEROUS FRIENDS AND FAMILY THEY HAD LEFT BEHIND.
GOD'S SPEED AND REST IN PEACE.
ROD AND TRAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU BOTH ON THE TOP FLOOR.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING ME HERE AND THE MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UH, CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION OF OUR FALLEN FIRST RESPONDERS.
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TO MY TEAMMATES, TO OUR FIRST RESPONDER PARTNERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.PLEASE KNOW THAT WE, UH, RECOGNIZE YOUR, YOUR SACRIFICE ALSO AND THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR PART IN, IN OUR COHESION AND COLLABORATION TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
I'M THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF CHIEF JONE.
HE COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY, UH, BUT HE SENDS HIS APPRECIATION AND DEDICATION TO OUR OFFICERS AND CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE FAMILIES THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
THESE FAMILIES HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE WORST NIGHTMARE.
THE THING THEY FEARED THE MOST WAS THEIR LOVED ONE JOINING PUBLIC SERVICE AND KNOWING THAT ONE DAY THAT THEY MAY NOT COME HOME.
BUT THE HEROES KNEW THE RISKS WHEN THEY SIGNED UP, BUT THEY STILL TOOK AN OATH TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY LOVED OUR OFFICERS, THEY LOVED THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEY PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE.
I'M HONORED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE THESE FAMILIES HERE WITH YOU TODAY THAT WE'RE REMEMBERING.
I'LL SPEAK BRIEFLY ON EACH OFFICER ERIC LINDSEY PASSED AWAY ON DECEMBER 5TH, 2021.
AFTER BATTLING COVID FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, OFFICER LINDSEY FIRST STARTED HIS CAREER WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND THEN SPENT THE NEXT 20 YEARS WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HE WAS WELL-RESPECTED BY HIS FELLOW OFFICERS AND WORKED ON PATROL AND IN PARKS HIS ENTIRE CAREER.
HE HAD COMPASSION AND EMPATHY FOR THOSE HE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH ALLOWING HIM TO DEESCALATE SITUATIONS QUICKLY AND TO GENUINELY SERVE THOSE MOST IN NEED.
TANYA MASON, ERIC LOVED YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
HE CONSTANTLY TALKED ABOUT THE BOTH OF YOU AND HOW HE WANTED TO SPEND ALL OF HIS OFF TIME WITH HIS FAMILY.
OFFICER ANDY TRAILER PASSED AWAY WHILE ON DUTY JULY 30TH, 2021 FROM INJURY SUSTAINED IN A CRASH WITH AN 18 WHEELER.
HE WAS RESPONDING QUICKLY TO A CALL FOR SERVICE.
HIS VIGILANCE, HIS PASSION, HIS DEDICATION TO SERVICE COMMUNITY, AND HIS SHIFT MATES WAS UNWAVERING AND INSPIRING.
OFFICER TRAILER FIRST STARTED HIS CAREER WITH THE US NAVY AS A SUBMARINER AND THEN CAME TO THE SERVE WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR NINE YEARS.
HIS PEERS, SUPERVISORS, UM, HIGHLY RESPECTED HIM AND HE WAS DESCRIBED AS HAVING A HUMOROUS SIGN WITH A CHARMING ABILITY TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL WELCOME AND HE ALWAYS JOKED WITH HIM.
UH, MY LAST MEMORY OF HIM WAS LEAVING SHOW UP AND HE WAS, UH, BEING VERY, UH, I'LL JUST SAY VIBRANT IN HIS, UH, HIS ASSESSMENT OF MY LEADERSHIP STYLE.
I'LL JUST SAY THAT
UM, SENIOR, UM, SENIOR SERGEANT STEVE URIS PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 26TH, 2021 AFTER CONTRACTING C OVID 19 IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
SERGEANT ARIAS BEGAN HIS CAREER WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 1989 AND SERVED WITH US FOR 32 YEARS.
THROUGH VARIOUS ASSIGNMENTS THROUGHOUT HIS TIME WITH A P D, HE EXCELLED AT EVERY POSITION HE HELD.
I STILL REMEMBER HIM MARKING UP MY PC AFFIDAVITS WITH HIS RED PEN WHILE I SIT IN A ARREST REVIEW TELLING ME TO TRY IT AGAIN.
HIS PASSING IS A HUGE LOSS FOR ALL THAT KNEW HIM AND LEFT A VOID WE CANNOT FILL.
LORI, HE WAS VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS RETIREMENT AND SPENDING TIME WITH YOU, HIS CHILDREN AND HIS GRANDCHILDREN.
WORDS WILL NOT SUFFICE TO DESCRIBE OUR GRATITUDE FOR YOUR LOSS.
THESE OFFICERS DEDICATED THEIR LIVES SO THAT EVERYONE COULD LIVE BETTER.
EVERY LIFE THEY TOUCHED WILL BE GRATEFUL TO HAVE KNOWN THEM AND THEY WILL LIVE FOREVER IN HIS ME IN THEIR MEMORIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY AND THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AND COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING THEIR ULTIMATE SACRIFICE AND THE LOSS OF THESE FAMILIES.
THANK YOU CHIEFS AND CITY MANAGER FOR THOSE VERY KIND WORDS.
UM, IF YOU WOULD, MR. GARZA CHIEF WOULD JOIN ME AS PODIUM HIM STAND.
IT IS NOW MY HONOR TO PRESENT THE MEMORIAL PLAQUES IN REMEMBRANCE AND APPRECIATION OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS DEDICATED SERVICE FOR AUSTIN.
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I'M GONNA BEGIN WITH THE, WITH THE FAMILY OF RODNEY KELLY.PLEASE JOIN US, WILL BAT WILL BATTALION CHIEF ANDY REARDON.
JOIN US TO ACCEPT THE PLAQUE ON BEHALF OF TRAVIS ME'S FAMILY
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THANK YOU AGAIN.I WANT TO EXPRESS OUR CONDOLENCES AND MAY ALL THESE FOLLOWING HEROES BE SAFELY HOME.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL ALWAYS BE INDEBTED TO YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF YOUR LOVED ONES WHO SERVED AND DEDICATED THEIR LIVES IN SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN.
THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE TODAY SO THAT WE MAY HONOR THEIR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT AND THE DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT OF FIREFIGHTER RODNEY KELLY FIRE BATTALION CHIEF TRAVIS MAYER.
OFFICER ERIC LINDSEY, OFFICER LEWIS, ANDY TRAILER AND SERGEANT STEVE RES.
FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE HUMAN RESOURCES, UH, DEPARTMENT, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE THE TRADITION OF OUR EMPLOYEE MEMORIAL, UH, SERVICE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN POLICE HONOR GUARD AND THE PIPE AND DRUM CORPS AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU, ALL OF YOU, AND ALL THE THINGS YOU DO IN SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY.
ALRIGHT, AND BRUCE HAS, UH, GOT, UH, CAKE AND COOKIES