Whereas millions of Americans have benefitted from the
courageous service of first responders across the United States;
Whereas the police, fire, emergency medical service, and
public health personnel (commonly known as first responders
)
work devotedly and selflessly on behalf of the people of the United States,
regardless of the peril or hazard to themselves;
Whereas in emergency situations, first responders carry
out the critical role of protecting and ensuring public safety;
Whereas the men and women who bravely serve as first
responders have found themselves on the front lines of homeland defense in the
war against terrorism;
Whereas first responders are called upon in the event of a
natural disaster, such as the tornados in Florida and the blizzard in Colorado
in December 2006, the flooding in the Northeast in April 2007, the flooding in
the Midwest in June 2008, and the wildfires in the West in July 2008;
Whereas the critical role of first responders was
witnessed in the aftermath of the mass shooting at the Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University, when the collaborative effort of police
officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians to secure the campus,
rescue students from danger, treat the injured, and transport victims to local
hospitals undoubtedly saved the lives of many students and faculty;
Whereas 900,000 police officers, 1,100,000 firefighters,
and 891,000 emergency medical technicians risk their lives every day to make
our communities safe;
Whereas these 900,000 sworn police officers from Federal,
State, tribal, city, and county law enforcement agencies protect lives and
property, detect and prevent crimes, uphold the law, and ensure justice;
Whereas these 1,100,000 firefighters, both volunteer and
career, provide fire suppression, emergency medical services, search and
rescue, hazardous materials response, response to terrorism, and critical fire
prevention and safety education;
Whereas the 891,000 emergency medical professionals in the
United States respond to and treat a variety of life-threatening emergencies,
from cardiac and respiratory arrest to traumatic injuries;
Whereas these 2,661,000 first responders
make personal sacrifices to protect our communities, as was witnessed on
September 11, 2001, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and as is
witnessed every day in cities and towns across the United States;
Whereas, according to the National Law Enforcement
Officers Memorial Fund, a total of 1,671 law enforcement officers died in the
line of duty during the past 10 years, an average of 1 death every 53 hours or
167 per year, and 181 law enforcement officers were killed in 2007;
Whereas, according to the United States Fire
Administration, from 1996 through 2005 over 1500 firefighters were killed in
the line of duty, and tens of thousands were injured;
Whereas 4 in 5 medics are injured on the job, more than 1
in 2 (52 percent) have been assaulted by a patient and 1 in 2 (50 percent) have
been exposed to an infectious disease, and emergency medical service personnel
in the United States have an estimated fatality rate of 12.7 per 100,000
workers, more than twice the national average;
Whereas most emergency medical service personnel deaths in
the line of duty occur in ambulance accidents;
Whereas thousands of first responders have made the
ultimate sacrifice;
Whereas, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency
medical workers in the United States were universally recognized for the
sacrifices they made on that tragic day, and should be honored each year as
these tragic events are remembered;
Whereas there currently exists no national day to honor
the brave men and women of the first responder community, who give so much of
themselves for the sake of others; and
Whereas these men and women by their patriotic service and
their dedicated efforts have earned the gratitude of Congress: Now, therefore,
be it
That the Senate designates September
25, 2008, as National First Responder Appreciation Day
to honor
and celebrate the contributions and sacrifices made by all first responders in
the United States.