Baker will propose First Responder Recognition Day
Seeks emergency responder status for local coordinators HARRISBURG Senator Lisa Baker (R-20) announced that she will introduce a resolution to honor the commitment and sacrifice of Pennsylvania’s first responders by establishing Sept. 25, 2007 as Pennsylvania’s First Responder Recognition Day. Baker, who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, will propose the resolution in concurrence with the First Response Coalition’s call for establishing September 25 as “National First Responder Appreciation Day.” “Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians have benefited from the courageous service of first responders across the Commonwealth who selflessly risk their own safety to protect the people in their community,” said Baker. “These brave men and women are true heroes and good Samaritans, and they deserve to be recognized.” Pennsylvania’s 153,000 first responders consist of 29,000 state and local police officers, 70,000 career and volunteer firefighters, and 54,000 emergency medical service professionals. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 1,649 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years. The United States Fire Administration says that 1,500 firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty between 1996 and . And statistics show that 4 out of 5 medics are injured on the job, more than 52 percent have been assaulted by a patient, 50 percent have been exposed to an infectious disease, and their fatality rate is more than twice the national average. “Setting one day aside per year to honor these first responders is a simple, yet powerful gesture to recognize their contributions, sacrifices, and dedication to public service,” said Baker. There is currently no state day of recognition set aside to honor Pennsylvania’s first responders. Baker is also introducing legislation to add local emergency coordinators to the list of recognized emergency responders, which will allow them to use emergency vehicle designations and warning signals. “Every municipality in Pennsylvania has a local emergency management coordinator, but they are not defined as emergency responders, ” she said. “Their inability to identify their vehicle properly, when traveling to an emergency or disaster, is a safety hazard.“