Presidential Documents

74877 

Federal Register 

Vol. 88, No. 210 

Wednesday, November 1, 2023 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10659 of October 27, 2023 

National First Responders Day, 2023 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

Every day, Americans across the country witness the absolute courage and 

selfless sacrifice of our first responders. Whether they are police officers 

and sheriff’s deputies protecting our communities; firefighters running into 

burning buildings; or emergency medical technicians, paramedics, 911 dispatchers, 988 crisis responders, and other public health workers providing 

emergency care, these heroes are always there for us when we need them. 

On National First Responders Day, we honor and celebrate these extraordinarily brave women and men who put themselves in harm’s way to 

keep our Nation safe. 

Today we ask more of our first responders than ever before. Law enforcement 

officers who serve and defend communities across America are constantly 

confronted with dangerous threats. Firefighters face growing challenges as 

climate change makes deadly fires more frequent and ferocious. Relief workers are responding to public emergencies that have no precedent. Emergency 

medical service providers are working longer hours since the pandemic 

while taking on new roles and risks. Yet every day, our first responders 

answer the call while seldom seeking recognition in return, irrespective 

of the personal toll. 

My Administration is committed to supporting and protecting our Nation’s 

first responders. That is why I signed the American Rescue Plan, which 

provides States, cities, and Tribes with billions of dollars to retain and 

hire more law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency health providers; pay overtime and bonuses; and keep communities safe. Last year 

I was proud to sign into law the most sweeping gun safety bill in nearly 

30 years to ensure our officers are not out-gunned on the streets. We are 

also strengthening background checks for gun purchasers, cracking down 

on illegal gun sales, and reining in ghost guns that are frequently used 

in violent crimes. In 2021, I signed into law the Protecting America’s First 

Responders Act, expanding death, disability, and education benefits for first 

responders killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty as well as 

their families. 

In addition, I secured $600 million in my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

package to boost Federal firefighter pay and increased the minimum wage 

to $15 an hour—a critical first step in giving these heroes the pay, respect, 

and dignity they deserve. Meanwhile, we are supporting crisis response 

efforts through my Investing in America agenda, which includes funding 

to improve community resilience to natural disasters. My Administration 

also launched the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer, the largest effort 

ever undertaken to understand and reduce the risk of cancer among firefighters. I was proud to sign the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022 

to provide access to job-related disability benefits to firefighters diagnosed 

with certain kinds of cancer or lung disease as well as legislation funding 

research on mitigating the risks firefighters face from toxic PFAS—so-called 

‘‘forever chemicals’’—while ensuring the Department of Defense will no 

longer purchase gear that contains PFAS as soon as an alternative is available. 


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74878 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 210 / Wednesday, November 1, 2023 / Presidential Documents 

Today and every day, we thank our first responders for their immeasurable 

service and recommit to giving them the tools they need to succeed. We 

remember the patriots who lost their lives running toward danger to protect 

others. We honor the families of the first responders who continue to sacrifice 

so their loved ones can serve the rest of us and keep our communities 

safe. These heroes possess a rare commitment to their fellow Americans. 

They represent the best of who we are, and they are a big reason why 

I have never been more optimistic about our country’s future. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 28, 2023, 

as National First Responders Day. I call upon all the people of the United 

States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to honor our brave first responders and to pay tribute to those who 

have lost their lives in the line of duty. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh 

day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and 

of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 

and forty-eighth. 

[FR Doc. 2023–24246 

Filed 10–31–23; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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