Since 9/11, many states have designated a First Responders Day but attempts by several different individuals and organizations to establish a national day celebrating all First Responders have not materialized. After the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Andrew Collier, the brother of the gunned down MIT police officer Sean Collier, reignited a movement to honor our nation's First Responders. Collier's effort drew greater awareness, even prompting lawmakers in D.C. to take notice.
"First Responders show up for others during their most stressful times or sometimes even on that person's worst day of their life," said Denver Fire Chief Eric Tade, who also serves as an executive board member of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association. "Celebrating the contributions of First Responders through a national day of remembrance is overdue. Almost everyone has a story how they were helped by a First Responder or how a First Responder helped one of their friends or family members."