Not all Superheroes Wear Capes

The Oxford Dictionary defines a first responder as someone whose job it is to respond immediately (first) when there is an accident or emergency. So important had this dedicated group of individuals become that, in 2017, Congress designated October 28th of each year as National First Responders Day.

Attention... attention out there… we cannot wait until October to thank our first responders! I’m asking all of you to stop and take a moment to thank a first responder you might know or see this weekend. Thank them for their unselfish, dedicated commitment to keeping all of us safe and healthy, especially during this Covid-19 outbreak.

Governor DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton brief Ohio residents daily with graphs and charts about how great we’re doing with masks and social distancing. And we all have a role to play in community health. But it’s especially comforting to know that our first responders have our backs if the tide turns.

There has been no other time in my life where life and limb have been more at stake from something we cannot see, hear, or smell than now. Our need for this team of highly trained individuals has never been more apparent, as we watch our world under siege every day by an invisible enemy!

Throughout their daily work - with all the stressors they endure - first responders do their jobs with a cool, calm, collected demeanor (and sometimes even a sense of humor).

I was once with a group of 10 hikers and we became stranded on a mountain in the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. Fred, a close friend of mine who is a Chicago fireman, was amongst our group. When we were finally rescued, I asked him, “Weren’t you afraid of dying?” “Nope” said Fred, with typical first responder-esque calm. “Not my time to buy a Stairway to Heaven!”

If you personally know a first responder - I’ve known many - you will surely agree that they are cut of a genetic fabric that is divinely woven. They’re real-life superheroes, but you won’t see them wearing capes. They’ll be wearing turnout gear, uniforms, medical attire, or PPE, and they might just be living right next door to you.

If you haven’t already thanked a first responder during these difficult times, please be sure to thank one today.

- Dr. P