National First Responders Day on October 28 recognizes the heroic men and women who make it their business to take immediate action when disaster strikes.

Serving as a national day of gratitude, we pay tribute to their endless hours and around the clock service provided to their communities. As one of the most dangerous jobs in the country, the day also pays tribute to the fallen first responders.

First responders dedicate their lives to save lives. They are the people who run toward a crisis while the rest of the world flees. According to the Department of Homeland Security, 4.6 million career and volunteer first responders support the communities where they live.

They are firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians (EMT), and paramedics. In an emergency, they’re the first on the scene. These dedicated professionals answer the call when a crisis arises, often putting their own lives on the line.

Serving as a national day of gratitude, we pay tribute to their endless hours and around the clock service provided to their communities. As one of the most dangerous jobs in the country, the day also pays tribute to the fallen first responders.

Colorado made National First Responders Day official on September 27, 2017. The state approved a bill honoring every first responder.

Then, on May 18, 2017, Congress officially designated October 28th as National First Responders Day. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tom Cotton, along with Representatives Mark Meadows, Michael Capuano and Elijah Cummings, introduced a resolution to establish National First Responders Day.

“The resolution was passed to honor the firefighters, police officers, EMTs and all those who are first on the scene in stressful situations,” according to Art International. “The family of Sean Collier, a police officer ambushed and murdered during events related to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, supported the resolution.”