What is A First Responder?
Definitions
Merriam-Webster: Definition of first responder: a person (as a police officer, firefighter or an EMT) who is among those responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide assistance.
Wikipedia: A first responder is an employee of an emergency service who is likely to be among the first people to arrive at and assist at the scene of an emergency such as an accident, natural disaster, or terrorist attack. First responders typically include police officers, deputy sheriffs, firefighters, paramedics, and rescuers.
Some will tell you, “first responders are the people you see running in when everyone else is running out”.
First Responders
Law Enforcement
Today, in the United States, more than 900,000 law enforcement officers put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of others. They serve with valor and distinction – and with great success. Federal statistics show that violent and property crime rates in the United States are at historic lows, thanks in large measure to the dedicated service of the men and women of law enforcement.
That protection comes at a price, however. Each year, there are approximately 60,000 assaults on law enforcement officers, resulting in nearly 16,000 injuries. On average, one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty somewhere in the United States every 61 hours. Since the first known line-of-duty death in 1791, more than 20,000 U.S. law enforcement officers have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Sadly, over the last decade, an average of 146 officers a year have been killed in the line of duty. California is second only to Texas in the number of Law enforcement officers which have died in the line of duty (1571).
2016 National law enforcement fatalities increased nationwide 22% over 2015 [National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Preliminary 2016 Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities]. In 2016, there were ten (10) line of duty law enforcement deaths in California, according to preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).
Fire
A fire department responds to a fire every 24 seconds [Hylton J.G. Haynes, “Fire Loss in the United States During 2014,” National Fire Protection Association, September 2015]
In 2016, there were 1,342,000 fires reported in the United States. These fires caused 3,390 civilian deaths, 14,650 civilian injuries, and $10.6 billion in property damage.
- 475,500 were structure fires, causing 2,950 civilian deaths, 12,775 civilian injuries, and $7.9 billion in property damage.
- 173,000 were vehicle fires, causing 280 civilian fire deaths, 1,075 civilian fire injuries, and $933 million in property damage.
- 662,500 were outside and other fires, causing 85 civilian fire deaths, 650 civilian fire injuries, and $1.4 billion in property damage.
Emergency Medical Services
Emergency Medical Services, more commonly known as EMS, is a system that provides emergency medical care. It is activated by a call for help, after an incident of serious illness or injury. The focus of EMS is emergency medical care of the patient(s). EMS is most easily recognized when emergency vehicles or helicopters are seen responding to emergency incidents. But EMS is much more than a ride to the hospital. It is a system of coordinated response and emergency medical care, involving multiple people and agencies. A comprehensive EMS system is ready every day for every kind of emergency.
Emergency Medical Services personnel treat 22 million patients a year [ Maguire BJ, Smith S, “Injuries and fatalities among emergency medical technicians and paramedics in the United States.” Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, August 28, 2013]