What is a First Responder?

According to the U.S. Homeland Security Presidential Directive / HSPD-8:

The term “first responder” refers to those individuals who in the early stages of an incident are responsible for the protection and preservation of life, property, evidence, and the environment, including emergency response providers as defined in section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101), as well as emergency management, public health, clinical care, public works, and other skilled support personnel (such as equipment operators) that provide immediate support services during prevention, response, and recovery operations.

First Responders are often the first people to arrive at the scene of an emergency, and through their jobs, protect the health and safety of people and communities. The following types of workers are typically considered First Responders, but many other typed of workers fall under the “First Responder” label.

  • Firefighter
  • Police Officer
  • Paramedic
  • Emergency Medical Technician

Before embarking on a new First Responder career path, below are some interesting items to keep in mind from a 2015 (revised) U.S. DOL Report:

  • Police and firefighters have a higher injury rate than most occupations.
  • First Responders have higher injury rates from vehicle accidents, violence, overexertion, work-related fatalities than other U.S. workers.
  • Between 2000 – 2013, there were twice as many police officers employed than firefighters, and three times as many police officers employed than EMTs.
  • EMT job opportunities are growing nearly four times faster than police or firefighter positions.
  • Between 2012 and 2022, the BLS projects firefighter occupations to grow by 6.6%, police occupations to grow by 5.9% and EMT and Paramedic occupations to grow by 23.1%.
  • Generally, police and firefighters earn more money than the average U.S. worker, but they also work more hours.
  • The gender pay gap for police and EMTs is less than is seen across the average U.S. workforce.

The initial and refresher training requirements will vary depending on the type of first responder you want to become. HazMat Student offers several state-of-the-art Hazmat First Responder courses and Online EMS Courses to assist you with your ongoing First Responder training needs. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Date Posted: 10-18-2016
Tags: first responder, first responder jobs, first responder training,
Categories: EMT & Paramedic,