First Responder Initiative

• There are over 1 million firefighters in the United States, of which approximately 750,000 are volunteers.
• Local police departments have an estimated 556,000 full-time employees including about 436,000 sworn personnel.
• Sheriffs' offices reported about 291,000 full-time employees, including about 186,000 sworn personnel.
• There are over 155,000 nationally registered Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT).

Strengthening America's first responder community will make our homeland safer. Nearly two million first responders regularly put their lives at risk to save lives and make our country safer.

Hundreds of firefighters, police officers and emergency medical workers gave their lives on September 11 as they worked to save others.

The First Responder Initiative will help these brave Americans do their jobs better. Building on existing capabilities at the Federal, State, and local level, the First Responder Initiative provides an incentive to develop mutually supportive programs that maximize effective response capability. Through joint planning, clear communication, comprehensive coordination, mutual aid at all levels and increased information sharing, America's first responders can be trained and equipped to save lives in the event of a terrorist attack.

The benefits of building first responder capability are immediate and widespread -- making the nation safer from terrorist attacks while also bolstering everyday response capabilities. Hundreds of firefighters, police officers and emergency medical workers gave their lives on September 11 as they worked to save others.

The First Responder Initiative will help these brave Americans do their jobs better. Building on existing capabilities at the Federal, State, and local level, the First Responder Initiative provides an incentive to develop mutually supportive programs that maximize effective response capability. Through joint planning, clear communication, comprehensive coordination, mutual aid at all levels and increased information sharing, America's first responders can be trained and equipped to save lives in the event of a terrorist attack.

The benefits of building first responder capability are immediate and widespread -- making the nation safer from terrorist attacks while also bolstering everyday response capabilities.

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