IV 

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 ‘‘NaVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:08 May 01, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1185.IH HR1185

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•HRES 1185 IH 

tional 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 reVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:08 May 01, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1185.IH HR1185

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cruitment 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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses support for the designation of 

3 ‘‘National First Responder Month’’; 


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•HRES 1185 IH 

1 (2) honors and recognizes the service and sac2 rifice made by first responders and the families of 

3 first responders; and 

4 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

5 to observe ‘‘National First Responder Month’’ by— 

6 (A) celebrating the lives of those first re7 sponders who have been injured or lost their 

8 lives in the line of duty; 

9 (B) thanking first responders, both part10 time, full-time, and volunteer, for their contin11 ued commitment to their community and the 

12 Nation; and 

13 (C) conducting well-deserved ceremonies 

14 and activities to pay tribute to first responders 

15 and their families. 

Æ 


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