[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16731]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               NATIONAL FIRST RESPONDER APPRECIATION DAY

  The resolution (S. Res. 215) designating September 25, 2007, as 
``National First Responder Appreciation Day,'' was considered and 
agreed to. The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 215

       Whereas millions of Americans have benefited from the 
     courageous service of first responders across the Nation;
       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 this Nation, 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 tornadoes in Florida and the 
     blizzard in Colorado in December 2006, the wildfires in the 
     West in 2007, and the flooding in the Northeast in April 
     2007;
       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 670,000 police officers, 1,100,000 firefighters, 
     and 891,000 emergency medical technicians risk their lives 
     every day to make our communities safe;
       Whereas these 670,000 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 America;
       Whereas according to the National Law Enforcement Officers 
     Memorial Fund, a total of 1,649 law enforcement officers died 
     in the line of duty during the past 10 years, an average of 1 
     death every 53 hours or 165 per year, and 145 law enforcement 
     officers were killed in 2006;
       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, America's firefighters, law enforcement 
     officers, and emergency medical workers 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
       Resolved, That the Senate designates September 25, 2007, as 
     ``National First Responder Appreciation Day'' to honor and 
     celebrate the contributions and sacrifices made by all first 
     responders in the United States.

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