When I was first approached by The Bakersfield Californian about writing an article on why National First Responders Day is important, I hesitated. After all, most people who embark on a career as a first responder, and more specifically for me, in the fire service, do so not for the recognition, accolades or honor, but for the intangible reward: achieving fulfillment through serving and protecting others. Nevertheless, now that I am no longer on the “front lines” and likely one of the last in the Bakersfield Fire Department to be summoned to an incident, I feel more at ease to comment on the matter but will begin by providing some context.
In a literal sense, the BFD’s truest first responders are our fire dispatchers. Cloaked behind walls on Panorama Drive and guarded from view, these members are the vital link between Fire and EMS resources and the residents, business owners and visitors of this community. Because they operate from afar, one could easily overlook their enormous contribution to public safety; but we shouldn’t. Dispatchers operate in a fast-paced and stressful environment that demands attention to detail and multitasking skills that are second to none. Dispatchers receive caller information, dispatch resources, communicate with the responding crews, and update the incident information by keyboard into a database, all the while providing life-saving instructions to the callers over the phone. Although not physically present, dispatchers can make the difference between life and death by providing critical information to callers, including how to perform CPR or instructions on controlling bleeding and childbirth.
In a higher-profile setting, I am surrounded daily by more than 200 other first responders, people who have dedicated their lives to helping others, despite the risk to their own lives, health and safety. These are our community’s firefighters. Sure, firefighters receive extensive training to reduce risk, and they are outfitted with personal protective equipment to that end, but that training is not a catchall for success and safety, nor is the extensive experience they gain responding to tens of thousands of calls per year. No two calls are alike, no two hazards are the same, and not one playbook can address every emergency. The nature of a firefighter’s job is inherently dangerous, whether that’s entering a burning building to search for victims, battling a blaze, or risking exposure to a chemical or condition that can kill instantly or over the course of time. Simply put, firefighters will risk their lives to save others. That’s what they signed up for, and that’s noble.
What’s interesting, however, is what the training and experience do to a person’s soul, mind and spirit. It empowers them. It makes them whole. For many, being a first responder is a calling, a destiny. The drive to help people is in their DNA and obtaining a job as a first responder is a perfect fit for their persona. But what fills my heart as a manager is not the acts they perform on duty — those acts are expected — it’s that they are willing to act, lend a hand and make a difference outside of their job and away from their protective equipment.
Recently, four off-duty BFD members were vacationing together at the coast with their families when they noticed a child signaling for help and a victim in distress, floating motionless in the ocean. The four acted swiftly, swam to the victim, returned him to shore, and provided treatment until local EMS workers arrived. This occurred at a moment’s notice and the four acted instinctively, decisively, competently and in unison. That example is the byproduct of their training, of their persona, of their courage, and I have many more examples at the ready.
First responders are no different from you and me. In fact, they are you and me. They are a direct reflection of the members of this community because they are of this community. Some people are born to be first responders and they knew it since they were children, while others possess the key building blocks: the drive to help others, compassion and courage. They simply need exposure to a profession that will allow them to flourish and thrive in helping others: firefighters, police officers, dispatchers, ambulance personnel and the like. This is an imperfect world, full of illnesses, accidents and intentional acts that will continue to require intervention. Let us recognize and appreciate all first responders for their noble service and sacrifice and let us identify and inspire the next generation of protectors. After all, they are among us.
John Frando is chief of the Bakersfield Fire Department.
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