Photo: Getty Images
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – Every year a national day honors the men and women who are the first to react to emergency situations.
Serving as a day of gratitude, National First Responders Day falls on October 28th. It pays respect to people who dedicate their lives to save lives. These people include firefighters, police, EMTs, paramedics and 911 operators.
Boston Bruins Forward Charles Coyle, fresh off his goal from Wednesday night, paid tribute to the day while appearing on 101.7 The Bull Thursday morning.
“You really respect those people that put their lives on the line and risk themselves and their health for us,” he said. “You can only appreciate and respect that and just say thank you.”
Read More: Sailboat Crashes Into Commuter Dock During Nor’easter At The Hingham Ferry
A prime example of this is the late police officer Sean Collier who was killed at the site of the Boston Marathon bombing.
Collier’s sister Nicole, who is healthcare first responder herself, said she thinks of her brother outside of just this day.
“He did everything right,” Nicole said. “Getting to know the people that he served was his way of being amazing at his job.”
The Department of Homeland Security says there are over one million firefighters in the United States with 750,000 being volunteers. Local police departments have an estimated 556,000 full-time employees and sheriffs’ offices report about 291,000 full-time employees.
WBZ's Drew Moholland (@DrewWBZ) has more:
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App