When you think of first responders, what are your thoughts? Do you think about the people who are the first to show up during an emergency? Do you think of an incident that brought those emergency managers to your home or workplace? You may think of both scenarios together, possibly at different times on different days. You may be one of those people who needed the timely arrival of a team of first responders to save your life. You may not recall a single occurrence about that day. You may have only a specific smell that brings to your memory what others told you. Remain cognizant that you are still alive and be thankful.

When you think about a responder, do you see a person in uniform, or at least someone dressed to perform some specific duty which requires skills and patience? Do you see a genuine person that you believe cares about others?  A person who is often willing to put the lives of others before their life? Whether you remember the order of your thought, or whether you...