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First Responders

Tyler Griffin

Mr. Monroe

English 1013

November 11, 2017

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First responders are a small community designed to help and protect the community at

large. The first responders community can be divided into the smallest groups: paramedics,

police officers, and firefighters. They all do their jobs differently, but their sole purpose is to

protect and serve their community in their own unique way. Paramedics reduce disability and

death; police officers enforce laws and regulations to keep the peace and fire fighters prevent and

relieve suffering.

One of the first responders are Paramedics, they are associated with the Emergency

Medical Services (EMS). This permits patient care to begin at the scene of the injury or illness

and allows paramedics continuum care of a patient until they are discharged or rehabilitated.1

Paramedics scope of practice includes the skills of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

and Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) with the addition of more advanced

assessment and patient management skills. Paramedics can give certain drugs that the majority of

other first responders cannot. Their job is to reduce disability and death of patients who access

the EMS system. 2 Because of the EMS, people can have easy access to a paramedic in case of a

life-threatening emergency and what happens to a person before reaching a hospital is of critical

importance. Wars during the Korean and Vietnam conflicts showed that soldiers benefited from

emergency care prior to transport.3 This is proof of people benefited from paramedics

prehospital care. Paramedics respond to all kinds of life threatening calls. They perform

lifesaving care if possible and when it is safe. If a paramedic suspects potential violence, they are

to call law enforcement and not enter scene until the scene is safe. For example, in case of a

1
Joseph J Mestrovic, and Keith J Kareen, Prehospital Emergency care. (Boston.2014), pg. 4
2
Ibid pg.5
3
Ibid. pg.4
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shooting paramedics are not permitted to enter the scene until the scene has been adequately

controlled by law enforcement and weapons such as guns are removed.4

Police officers on the other hand can enter a shooting or any other dangerous scene. The

job of law enforcement is to enforce the law and keep everyone safe in their own way. They

respond to all kinds of calls such as noise complaints, robbery and traffic violations.5 Their job

is to keep their posted area safe and secure the peace. Police officers are also subjected to some

tests and skills trainings that other first responders are not subjected to such as oral

communication tests and the physically agility exams. The communication skills test and

communication training are used to help officers resolve situations such as disputes between

family members, friends and strangers or to just help relay information to those in distress.6

Police officers are also trained and permitted to carry and use a fire arm this allows them to

resolve more dangerous situations in ways that other first responders cannot, such as responding

to the scene of a shooting.7 Police officers physical agility tests are to measure the duties of a

police officer.8 This test will simulate similar tasks that can be compared to what police officers

may be asked to do during a work day, such as catching a robber on foot or climbing a fence. All

though police officers respond to dangerous situations there are some scenes where officers

cannot intervene such as house fires.

Fire fighters respond to many dangerous situations such as house fires. They are trained

to enter and look for anybody that may be trapped in a house. They wear special clothing that

allows them to get the job done and protects them from burns that other first responders are more

4
Joseph J Mestrovic, and Keith J Kareen, Prehospital Emergency care. Boston.2014 Textbook pg. 33
5
Rebbea La tourneu and Mary E Meyers. Police officer Exam, (New York,2015). Learning Express, pg.5
6
ibid pg. .20
7
Ibid pg. 21
8
Ibid pg. 41
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than likely to encounter if they were to intervene. Such burns include superficial partial thickness

burns, and deep partial thickness burns. These burns can cause intense pain and blistering, and

which will cause the skin to become pink and moist.9The Fire fighters primary goal is to

prevent and relieve suffering.10 Thats why fire fighters conduct building inspections, give

safety education classes and they also respond to hazardous material incidents.11 They do all of

this to ensure the safety of their community.

First responders all have the same sole purpose that sole purpose is to protect and serve

their community. Though the first responders community is divided into small groups each of

those groups play a big a role in keeping every one safe. First responders make communities

better because they make them safe.

9
Joseph J Mestrovic, and Keith J Kareen, Prehospital Emergency care. (Boston.2014) Textbook, pg. 815
10
Complete test preparation firefighter exam (2016; Learning Express, 2017), pg4-10.
11
Ibid pg.10
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Annotated bibliography

Complete test preparation firefighter exam (2016; Learning Express, 2017), pg4-10,
file:///C:/Users/tyler/AppData/Local/Packages/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbw
e/TempState/Downloads/Firefighter-Exam-6e.pdf.
The fire fighter exam book was written to prepare people that want to be a fire
and to test to see if thats what a person really wants to be. The fire fighter exam book
went into details on what a fire fighter really is and the book gives the reader statics on
how many hours and money a person would average a week. The books purpose is to
physicology test a person to see if they wanted to be a firefighter if they still do after
reading the introduction the books helps people learn how to become one.

Joseph J Mestrovic, and Keith J Kareen, Prehospital Emergency care. (Boston.2014),4-815.

This book is what the title suggests prehospital emergency care it teaches people that read
it the job of some first responders and how to perform certain task. The book teaches
CPR and how some first responders should respond to certain situation. This book is used
mainly by people in the medical field.

Rebbea La Tourneu and Mary E Meyers. Police officer Exam, (New York,2015). Learning

Express, pg.5-41

This book teaches People things they must know if they are going to be in law
enforcement such as rules and regulations. It teaches people on how to be a cop and the
upsides and down sides of being in law enforcement. The book discusses pay, vacation
time and the stresses of the job. Towards the end of the book it starts prepping people on
what they need to become a police officer
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