Group Wants Day to Honor First Responders
There are days set aside to honor mothers and fathers - even days for bosses and secretaries. But, there is no specific day reserved to remember the millions of men and women trained to respond in the event of an emergency.
The First Response Coalition wants to change that.
The Washington D.C.-based non-profit group is working to get National First Responders Day on United States calendars.
"We recognized that there was in fact no national day for first responders," said First Response Coalition Executive Director Steven Jones.
"We found that catfish, ice cream and TV dinners all have been afforded a national day of appreciation, but the men and women who protect our communities have not."
Jones said the Coalition has designated Sept. 22 as the day that would honor the country's emergency workers. Its proximity to a tragic day in U.S. history is no accident.
"It was in the days and weeks after Sept. 11 that the full extent of the sacrifices first responders had made became apparent to the nation," Jones said.
The First Response Coalition was founded three years ago by a group of first responders and concerned citizens who wanted to educate the public about the importance of emergency workers.
In the past, the group has examined the issue of hurricane preparedness in the Southeast, and called for improvements in the field of first responder communications.
Jones himself knows well the life of a first responder - he formerly served as a volunteer firefighter in California, and worked as a policy analyst for the International Association of Fire Fighters. He has been head of the First Response Coalition for a little over a year.
Several prominent first-responders' organizations have already voiced support for a First Responder's Day. Jones said heads of the National Black Police Association and the Southeast Louisiana Search & Rescue have thrown their support behind his cause. So have Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representative Jane Harman (D-CA).
The first step in the Coalition's campaign is an online petition. The group's online petition currently holds 1,000 of the 25,000 signatures needed to get Congress' attention.
Once that goal is met, the group will take their cause to Capitol Hill, asking lawmakers to present a congressional resolution.
"We all know the contributions and sacrifices that they make and continue to make," Jones said. "It's a win-win for first responders - a simple gesture that Congress can make."
Click here to sign the First Response Coalition's Online Petition. Click here to watch an informational video and here for more information on the First Response Coalition.
