First Responders Honored With Week of Appreciation

(TNS) - They are the people who roll out of bed at 3 a.m. when you smell smoke. They show up when you crash your car. They also come when you suspect a burglar.
They're the first responders.

First responders have become so important that the state Senate unanimously adopted a resolution designating Jan. 1 through 8, 2016, as "First Responder Appreciation Week" in Pennsylvania.

First Responders include fire, police and emergency medical personnel. They are likely to be the first people to arrive at and assist at the scene of an emergency, such as a vehicle crash, structure fire, natural disaster or terrorist attack.

A first responder can be someone who is paid, but most are volunteers who give back to their communities and enjoy keeping their neighbors safe.

Allen Clark, director of the Crawford County Emergency Management Agency, speaks highly of those men and women he and all residents greatly relive on.

"24/7, 365 days a year for as long as history has recorded there are men, women and teenagers who are trained, equipped and have the passion to put others' safety before their own to help those that are in distress," Clark said. "They miss work, they leave during church and they run out every day whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas or someone’s birthday. Emergencies don’t stop for holidays."

The resolution recognizes all first responders, including volunteer and career firefighters, emergency medical service workers and police officers. There are roughly 55,000 registered emergency medical service workers, 75,000 firefighters, and more than 45,000 police officers that serve Pennsylvania, according to numbers provided by the state Senate.

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