[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1185 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1185

  Designating the month of May as ``National First Responder Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 30, 2024

Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mr. Bost, Mr. D'Esposito, Mr. Bilirakis, Ms. 
     Houlahan, and Mr. Smith of Nebraska) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Designating the month of May as ``National First Responder Month''.

Whereas first responders are police officers, peace officers, deputy sheriffs, 
        correctional officers, local, State, Federal, and Tribal law enforcement 
        officers, firefighters, emergency dispatchers, public safety 
        telecommunicators, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and 
        nurses, who, in the course of their professional duties, respond to 
        fire, medical, hazardous material, or other similar emergencies;
Whereas ``International Firefighters Day'', ``National Peace Officers Memorial 
        Day'', ``National Nurses Week'', ``National Police Week'', ``National 
        EMS Week'', and ``National Correctional Officers Week'' are annually 
        celebrated in May;
Whereas, according to the Department of Commerce, in the United States there are 
        approximately 4,600,000 first responders;
Whereas, during times of medical crisis, first responders are critical in 
        providing emergency medical services to disadvantaged communities such 
        as older adults, people with disabilities, limited access to 
        transportation, and those with minimal English-language proficiency;
Whereas first responders have worked on the frontlines of national emergencies 
        and crises for centuries including the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
        attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the opioid epidemic, and the COVID-19 
        pandemic;
Whereas, according to the Department of Transportation, emergency medical 
        service personnel respond to around 37,000,000 9-1-1 calls annually;
Whereas, according to the Indian Health Service, about 60,000 emergency medical 
        service trips are made every year on reservations, particularly in rural 
        and extremely remote locations, for Tribal members;
Whereas first responders in rural communities often require additional 
        specialized training given emergency response is sometimes a secondary 
        occupation;
Whereas, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, factors such as 
        training demands, unmet expectations, work-life balance, consolidations, 
        mergers, and regionalization, tension with local government, leadership, 
        and departmental culture have contributed to serious recruitment and 
        retention challenges in the first responder industry;
Whereas, according to the Department of Labor, 25 percent of police officers, 19 
        percent of firefighters, and 10 percent of emergency medical technicians 
        are veterans of the United States Armed Forces;
Whereas, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 
        30 percent of first responders will develop some behavioral health 
        condition in their lifetime compared to 20 percent of the general 
        population;
Whereas, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
        Administration, approximately 1 in 3 first responders will develop post-
        traumatic stress disorder in their lifetime;
Whereas, according to the United States Fire Administration, first responders 
        suffer from significantly higher suicide rates compared to other 
        occupations;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, first 
        responder suicides are predominantly committed by law enforcement 
        officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service providers; and
Whereas many first responder peer support programs exist to assist in reducing 
        the stigma associated with mental health struggles and enhance 
        comfortability in approaching fellow colleagues for assistance: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of ``National 
        First Responder Month'';
            (2) honors and recognizes the service and sacrifice made by 
        first responders and the families of first responders; and
            (3) encourages the people of the United States to observe 
        ``National First Responder Month'' by--
                    (A) celebrating the lives of those first responders 
                who have been injured or lost their lives in the line 
                of duty;
                    (B) thanking first responders, both part-time, 
                full-time, and volunteer, for their continued 
                commitment to their community and the Nation; and
                    (C) conducting well-deserved ceremonies and 
                activities to pay tribute to first responders and their 
                families.
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